JFK Jr.'s Plane Crash & Death: What Went Wrong?

Those who were alive in July 1999 remember the tragic and heartbreaking news about John F. Kennedy Jr.: A president's son, his beautiful young wife, and her sister were lost at sea, their plane missing off the coast of Martha's Vineyard. Many people had the same thought: At least Jackie Kennedy Onassis was not around to see this.

At first, there was hope. The dashing JFK Jr., 38, once a little boy giving his father's casket a final salute, might turn up. 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 tucked inside. As the minutes turned into hours, though, the grim fate of the magazine publisher and the Bessette sisters slowly became clear. Eventually, it was confirmed. JFK Jr.'s plane had crashed into the sea. Eventually, the plane and bodies were pulled from the waters. The plane crash story - and the tale of Kennedy's tempestuous romance and wedding with Carolyn Bessette - is being recounted in a fictionalized series on FX and Hulu.

The plane crash caused JFK Jr.'s death and the deaths of his wife and sister. But what caused JFK Jr.'s plane crash? What went wrong? The National Transportation Safety Board issued a lengthy report that pinned the crash cause on... JFK Jr. himself. In short, pilot error, compounded by a number of external factors, took the life of the hope of the Kennedys, his wife and her sister, Lauren.

JFK Jr.'s Plane Crash Occurred After He Departed New York on a 'Dark Night'

There were several issues that accumulated, causing JFK Jr.'s plane crash, according to the report. The plane was a Piper PA-32R-301, Saratoga II, single-engine aircraft. They include:

• He was a non-instrument-rated pilot. The report noted JFK Jr.'s inexperience flying planes. His "total flight experience was about 310 hours, of which 55 hours were at night," it says.
• He departed on a "dark night."
• Kennedy opted to skip using a flight instructor, who didn't believe he was trained enough to fly in hazardous conditions by himself.
• JFK Jr. failed to maintain control of the plane as he tried to descend over water.
• He suffered "spatial disorientation." This can occur when a pilot trusts their body signals instead of their instruments, and it can cause them to plunge the aircraft into a graveyard spiral when the horizon is no longer visible.
• The night was hazy.
• Kennedy took off later than expected. But why? Vanity Fair reported that his wife delayed the trio by getting her nails redone, but the New York Post pinned the blame on rush hour traffic.
• Kennedy had a recent broken ankle.

The NTSB wrote that the agency "determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be: 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 says. “The pilot then departed on a dark night.”

The JFK Jr. Plane Crash Report Describes the Final Terrifying Moments

The NTSB report vividly describes the horrific 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."

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