[6] A U.S. Navy Lockheed TV-2 jet piloted by Commander Dale Heath, with an enlisted man as a rear passenger, runs into trouble soon after takeoff.

[7][8] The screenplay employs the frequent device of characters thinking aloud, as screenwriter Charles Schnee felt that audiences required more subtlety in characterization, which could be achieved with the additional dialogue.

[16] In a more critical review in The New York Times, Eugene Archer called The Crowded Sky "reprehensible" because it exploited human tragedy.

His review noted: "Possibly a meaningful film could be developed from this theme, but as directed with an emphasis on sensationalism by Joseph Pevney, the effect is as meretricious as it is harrowing.

Glenn Erickson of DVD Talk wrote a mostly positive review but commented that The Crowded Sky feels more like an "unintentional comedy" than a serious dramatic film.

[18] Reviewer Leonard Maltin called it a "slick film focusing on emotional problems aboard jet liner and Navy plane bound for fateful collision; superficial but diverting.