Fatal Aircraft Accident
Involving John F. Kennedy, Jr.
On 16 July 1999, John F. Kennedy, Jr., his wife Carolyn Bessette, and his sister-in-law Lauren Bessette, were killed when the aircraft piloted by John F. Kennedy, Jr. crashed in the Atlatic Ocean near Martha's Vinyard, Massachusetts. Kennedy was the sole pilot on a night flight that departed from the New York City area and was en route to a family gathering in Massachusetts. The following synopsis is based on the preliminary NTSB report on the accident.
NTSB Identification: NYC99MA178
Date:16 July 1999
Location: Vinyard Haven, MA
Aircraft:Piper PA-32R-301 (Saratoga), registration: N9253N
The noninstrument-rated pilot obtained weather forecasts for a cross-country flight from Caldwell, NJ to Hyannis, MA with a stop in Martha's Vinyard, MA. The forecast indicated visual flight rules (VFR) conditions with clear skies and visibilities that varied between 4 to 10 miles along his intended route. The pilot then departed on a dark night. According to radar data, 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). 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. 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, eventually exceeded 4,700 fpm, and the airplane struck the water in a nose-down attitude. Airports along the coast reported visibilities between 5 and 8 miles. Other pilots flying similar routes on the night of the accident reported no visual horizon while flying over the water because of haze.
The NTSB determined that the probable causea of this accident were 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.
Other Information
CNN Special Report of the JFK, Jr. Accident
NTSB Accident Synopsis
NTSB Full Accident Narrative
Fatal Events Involving Celebrities
Other Crashes Involving Celebrities
http://www.airsafe.com/events/celebs/jfk_jr.htm -- Revised: 16 November 2007