John F. Kennedy, Jr.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy Jr., often referred to as John F. Kennedy, Jr., JFK Jr. or John-John (November 25, 1960 – July 16, 1999) was an American lawyer, journalist, and publisher. He was the son of President John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy.

Death

On July 16, 1999, Kennedy was killed at age 38, along with his wife, Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, and his sister-in-law, Lauren Bessette, when the aircraft he was piloting, N9253N, a Piper Saratoga, crashed into the Atlantic Ocean en route from Essex County Airport in Fairfield, New Jersey, to Martha's Vineyard, where his family has a vacation house. The next day they were to attend the wedding of his first cousin Rory Kennedy, which was subsequently delayed.

Related Topics:
July 16 - 1999 - Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy - Lauren Bessette - Piper Saratoga - Atlantic Ocean - Essex County Airport - Fairfield - New Jersey - Martha's Vineyard - Rory Kennedy

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Kennedy was a relatively inexperienced pilot, with 310 hours of flight experience, including 55 hours of night flying and 36 hours on the high-performance Piper Saratoga. He had completed about half of an instrument training course. The National Transportation Safety Board investigation http://ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief2.asp?ev_id=20001212X19354&ntsbno=NYC99MA178&akey=1 found no evidence of mechanical malfunction in airframe, systems, avionics, or engine, and determined that the probable cause 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 report noted that spatial disorientation as a result of continued VFR flight into adverse weather conditions is a regular cause of fatal aircraft accidents. His plane crashed within view of his mother's childhood home. Kyle Bailey, a pilot believed to have been the last person to see Kennedy alive at Essex County Airport, subsequently stated that he had cancelled his own intended journey to Martha's Vineyard citing that the weather on the route was "a little too hazy". It also emerged that, while Kennedy had made the journey from Essex County Airport to the Vineyard several times before, he had never made it alone and at night - factors which can make a flight challenging, especially for a noninstrument-rated pilot. Kennedy's CFI (Certified Flight Instructor) stated that he offered to fly with Kennedy on the fatal journey but Kennedy replied "he wanted to do it alone". The CFI also stated he was uncomfortable with Kennedy making a flight alone in a high-performance aircraft at night, over open water and into haze.

Related Topics:
National Transportation Safety Board - Spatial disorientation - VFR - Essex County Airport - Vineyard - Certified Flight Instructor

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During the memorial service on July 23, John-John's uncle, Massachusetts Democratic Senator Edward Kennedy, said that "we dared to think...that this John Kennedy would live to comb gray hair, with his beloved Carolyn by his side. But like his father, he had every gift but length of years." http://www.jfklibrary.org/emk_eulogy_jfkjr.html He began his tribute by thanking President Bill Clinton, his wife, Hillary and daughter Chelsea for their presence and the kindness they showed throughout the week. Clinton had ordered the flag at the White House at half-staff in honor of JFK Jr. before traveling to the service.

Related Topics:
July 23 - Edward Kennedy - Bill Clinton - Hillary - Chelsea - White House

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