Synopsis

On December 20, 1995, American Airlines Flight 965 was approaching Cali, Colombia. The flight crew were asked if they desired a direct approach to the city. They accepted the suggestion, but in making the required adjustments, inadvertently deleted waypoints from their flight management system (FMS). This left them disoriented regarding their precise location. The crew's error resulted in the aircraft flying directly into a mountain nine thousand feet high, near Buga. Only four passengers and a