Lost Part 5 - Air Crash Investigation/Mayday

American Airlines Flight 965 heads for Cali, Colombia. The crew is asked if they would like to do a straight-in approach to Cali. The pilots agree and inadvertently remove the waypoints from the flight plan in their Flight management system (FMS), causing them to become unsure of their exact position. Their mistakes cause them to crash into a 9,000 foot mountain near Buga. Only four passengers survive.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• American
• Airlines
• Flight
• 965
• heads
• for
• Cali
• Colombia
• The
• crew
• is
• asked
• if
• they
• would
• like
• to
• do
• straight
• in
• approach
• pilots
• agree
• and
• inadvertently
• remove
• the
• waypoints
• from
• flight
• plan
• their
• management
• system
• FMS
• causing
• them
• become
• unsure
• of
• exact
• position
• Their
• mistakes
• cause
• crash
• into
• 9000
• foot
• mountain
• near
• Buga
• Only
• four
• passengers
• survive

[ALAJOHNSTONE]

No they are always seasoned pilots that have been on the routes and aircraft many times before. It takes a lot of experience to have a crash like this. A novice pilot simply does not have what it takes to make the critical series of errors that culminate in a bad air crash. I would fly with a new pilot any day, much more careful.

Oh, would you prefer an optimistic pilot or a pessimistic one?? Pessimistic one. They will always think the worst will happen and will make preparations accordingly.

[textthing]

They forgot to retract the speed brakes? What the hell??

[OghamTheBold]

I also forgot about the speed brakes - I was saying to myself - pull up - pull up - I was not thinking - cancel the speed brakes

But I award myself 1/2 point - because as soon as I realised they were disorientated in the mountains - in the dark - I instinctively said - climb

[victoriaindigo]

@ALAJOHNSTONE Interesting point. The First Officer seemed much more reluctant to take ATC's offer of the straight in runway. Whereas the experienced Captain seemed to want to accept the runway change right away. Also, the more experienced Captain was probably more concerned with the fact that the flight had been delayed in Miami to wait for transfer passengers. He probably wanted to make up for that time more than the First Officer, who didn't seem to feel right about switching last minute.

[x11115]

@unbrutal, incorrect it's usually pilot error that causes crashes. sometimes they don't read the manuals on the equipment. there's always going to be mechanical failure but they must be prepared for the correct procedure to correct the problem.  Most of the time there's a way out. A properly trained pilot can usually defeat most mechanical failures. If flying was so simple they wouldn't need pilots.

[x11115]

the simple solution was the captain should have not tried to force the landing and make a safe change of course to make a new approach. he did the opposite of what a good pilot should do.

[avi92886]

bunch of idiot pilots

[BIGgymnast10]

Omg i feel bad for everyone r.i.p everyone who died...

[dreamcavern]

Haiz. Probably because I am more calm, and sitting down here... But what should have been done, even an untrained person like myself has enough common sense to know (what to do). Really very stupid. Rest in peace, and may God bless the survivors.

[reclusedxx]

The Colombian Rebels (FARC) destroyed the radars a year or so earlier. Rough time in Colombia at the time.

[unbrutal]

Most of the crash is started by the equipment error, but human make it to become worth....

[secret00agent00man]

routined?