John F. Kennedy Jr., His Wife Caroline Bessette Kennedy And Her Sister Lauren Bessette Go Down In John's Single Engine Piper Saratoga Aircraft Off The Coast Of Martha's Vineyard On Cape Cod, USA

John F. Kennedy Jr., His Wife Caroline Bessette Kennedy And Her Sister Lauren Bessette Go Down In John's Single Engine Piper Saratoga Aircraft Off The Coast Of Martha's Vineyard On Cape Cod, USA

On July 16, 1999, at 8:38 pm EDT John Kennedy, Jr., his wife Caroline Bessette Kennedy and Caroline's sister Lauren Bassette took off in John's single engine Piper Saratoga from Essex County Airport in Fairfield, New Jersey. Their fight was to take them to Martha's Vineyard on Cape Cod. However, the aircraft never made it.

At 9:39 pm the aircraft, with John at the controls was spotted on radar about 17 miles off Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. The aircraft was expected to touch down about 10 pm. It was reported that the weather visibility was marginal and that John may have encounted IFR conditions. About two months ago John obtained his private pilots license. He was not rated for IFR conditions.

John was planning to attend a family wedding at the Kennedy compound at Hyannis Port. On Saturday July 17, 1999, about 2 am the Kennedy family notified authorities of the overdue aircraft. After contacting airports along the plane's possible route to see if Kennedy had made an emergency landing, the Air Force and Coast Guard launched a search for the missing plane.

By mid afternoon after and all out search along their route of flight, the search was narrowed to an area off Martha's Vineyard after Bessette's suitcase and other items, including airplane parts and personal items, were found along Philbin Beach. in Aquinnah, a portion of the Vineyard popularly known as Gay Head. In several personal phone calls, President Clinton spoke to the Kennedy family on Saturday and informed them off his concern and support.

The aircraft was designed for six passengers with a cruise speed of about 170 MPH, a range of 822 miles and cost over $370,000 new. July 30, 1999, WASHINGTON, D.C. - The National Transportation Safety Board continues to investigate the July 16 crash an update on investigation of John F. Kennedy, Jr. plane crash.