The Tragic Story of John F. Kennedy Jr.’s Plane Crash
Those who lived through July 1999 will remember the heart-wrenching news about John F. Kennedy Jr. A president’s son, his beautiful young wife, and her sister were lost at sea when their plane disappeared off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard. Many people thought: At least Jackie Kennedy Onassis was not around to witness this.
At first, there was hope. JFK Jr., 38, once a little boy giving his father’s casket a final salute, might still be found. His plane hadn’t arrived at a cousin’s wedding, but maybe he was just late, with the Bessette sisters, ages 33 and 34, safely inside. As the minutes turned into hours, however, the grim reality of the magazine publisher’s and the Bessette sisters’ fate slowly became clear. Eventually, it was confirmed that JFK Jr.’s plane had crashed into the sea. The plane and bodies were eventually recovered from the waters. The story of the plane crash and the tale of Kennedy’s turbulent romance and wedding with Carolyn Bessette is now being retold in a fictionalized series on FX and Hulu.
The plane crash resulted in the deaths of JFK Jr., his wife, and her sister. But what caused the tragic event? The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued a detailed report that attributed the crash to… JFK Jr. himself. In short, pilot error, compounded by various external factors, led to the loss of the Kennedys’ hope, his wife, and her sister, Lauren.
JFK Jr.’s Plane Crash Occurred After He Departed New York on a ‘Dark Night’
According to the report, several issues contributed to JFK Jr.’s plane crash. The aircraft involved was a Piper PA-32R-301, Saratoga II, a single-engine plane. Key factors include:
- JFK Jr. was a non-instrument-rated pilot. The report noted his limited flight experience. His “total flight experience was about 310 hours, of which 55 hours were at night,” it says.
- He departed on a “dark night.”
- Kennedy chose not to use a flight instructor, who didn’t believe he was adequately trained to fly in hazardous conditions.
- JFK Jr. failed to maintain control of the plane as he attempted to descend over water.
- He suffered from “spatial disorientation.” This can occur when a pilot relies on their body’s signals instead of their instruments, leading them into a dangerous spiral when the horizon is no longer visible.
- The night was hazy.
- Kennedy took off later than expected. Why?
According toVanity Fair, his wife delayed the trio by getting her nails done, but theNew York Postblamed rush hour traffic. Additionally, Kennedy had recently broken his ankle.
The NTSB concluded that the probable cause of the accident was “the pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane during a descent over water at night, which was a result of spatial disorientation. Factors in the accident were haze, and the dark night.”
“The noninstrument-rated pilot obtained weather forecasts for a cross-country flight, which indicated visual flight rules (VFR) conditions with clear skies and visibilities that varied between 4 to 10 miles along his intended route,” the report states. “The pilot then departed on a dark night.”
The JFK Jr. Plane Crash Report Describes the Final Terrifying Moments
The NTSB report provides a vivid account of the harrowing final sequence of events.
“According to a performance study of radar data, the airplane proceeded over land at 5,500 feet. About 34 miles west of Martha’s Vineyard Airport, while crossing a 30-mile stretch of water to its destination, the airplane began a descent that varied between 400 to 800 feet per minute (fpm),” the report says.
“About 7 miles from the approaching shore, the airplane began a right turn. The airplane stopped its descent at 2,200 feet, then climbed back to 2,600 feet and entered a left turn,” the report added.
“While in the left turn, the airplane began another descent that reached about 900 fpm. While still in the descent, the airplane entered a right turn. During this turn, the airplane’s rate of descent and airspeed increased. The airplane’s rate of descent eventually exceeded 4,700 fpm, and the airplane struck the water in a nose-down attitude.”
