(CNN) - Wednesday marks 15 years since John F. Kennedy Jr. and his wife, Carolyn Bessette, died in a plane crash.
The
couple was on the way to a relative's wedding when the plane, piloted
by Kennedy, crashed in the waters off Martha's Vineyard.
Carolyn Bessette's sister, Lauren Bessette, also died on the single-engine plane.
All three bodies were found in the submerged plane days later on July 21.
Source: http://www.kfvs12.com
NTSB Identification: NYC99MA178.
The docket is stored in the Docket Management System (DMS). Please contact Records Management Division
Accident occurred Friday, July 16, 1999 in VINEYARD HAVEN, MA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 07/06/2000
Aircraft: Piper PA-32R-301, registration: N9253N
Injuries: 3 Fatal.
NTSB
investigators traveled in support of this investigation and used data
obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
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 pilot then departed on a dark
night. 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). 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 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. 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 pilot's estimated total
flight experience was about 310 hours, of which 55 hours were at night.
The pilot's estimated flight time in the accident airplane was about 36
hours, of which about 9.4 hours were at night. About 3 hours of that
time was without a certified flight instructor (CFI) on board, and about
0.8 hour of that was flown at night and included a night landing. In
the 15 months before the accident, the pilot had flown either to or from
the destination area about 35 times. The pilot flew at least 17 of
these flight legs without a CFI on board, of which 5 were at night.
Within 100 days before the accident, the pilot had completed about 50
percent of a formal instrument training course. A Federal Aviation
Administration Advisory Circular (AC) 61-27C, "Instrument Flying: Coping
with Illusions in Flight," states that illusions or false impressions
occur when information provided by sensory organs is misinterpreted or
inadequate and that many illusions in flight could be caused by complex
motions and certain visual scenes encountered under adverse weather
conditions and at night. The AC also states that some illusions might
lead to spatial disorientation or the inability to determine accurately
the attitude or motion of the aircraft in relation to the earth's
surface. The AC further states that spatial disorientation, as a result
of continued VFR flight into adverse weather conditions, is regularly
near the top of the cause/factor list in annual statistics on fatal
aircraft accidents. According to AC 60-4A, "Pilot's Spatial
Disorientation," tests conducted with qualified instrument pilots
indicated that it can take as long as 35 seconds to establish full
control by instruments after a loss of visual reference of the earth's
surface. AC 60-4A further states that surface references and the natural
horizon may become obscured even though visibility may be above VFR
minimums and that an inability to perceive the natural horizon or
surface references is common during flights over water, at night, in
sparsely populated areas, and in low-visibility conditions. Examination
of the airframe, systems, avionics, and engine did not reveal any
evidence of a preimpact mechanical malfunction.
The National Transportation Safety Board 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.
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