Original subtitles

Man: EACH AND EVERY PIECE,

NO MATTER HOW SMALL,

WE NEED TO KNOW WHERE IT WAS FOUND.

Narrator: NTSB INVESTIGATORS FACE PRESSURE LIKE NEVER BEFORE.

Man: THE EYES OF THE WORLD WERE GONNA BE ON THIS.

Narrator: A PIPER SARATOGA HAS CRASHED INTO THE SEA.

Man: HIT THE WATER LIKE THIS.

Narrator: AT THE CONTROLS OF THE SMALL PLANE,

ONE OF THE BIGGEST NAMES IN AMERICAN LIFE--

JOHN F. KENNEDY JR.

Man: WHAT A RISING STAR HE WAS.

Man: SOME PEOPLE WERE THINKING HE'D HAVE A SHOT

AT BEING A PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.

John Kennedy: GOOD MORNING.

Narrator: ANOTHER DARK CHAPTER IN A TRAGIC FAMILY SAGA.

Woman: THERE WAS THIS KENNEDY CURSE.

Woman: JOHN, WHAT'S GOING ON?

Kennedy: COME ON!

Narrator: NOW ALL THE WORLD WANTS TO KNOW:

WHAT'S THE REAL STORY BEHIND THE CRASH THAT KILLED A KENNEDY?

Flight attendant: LADIES AND GEN GENTLEMEN, WE ARE STARTING OUR APPROACH.

Pilot: WE LOST BOTH ENGINES!

Flight attendant: PUT THE MASK OVER YOUR NOSE.

EMERGENCY DESCENT.

Pilot: MAYDAY, MAYDAY.

Flight attendant: BRACE FOR IMPACT!

Controller: I THINK I LOST ONE.

Man: INVESTIGATION STARTING...

Man: HE'S GONNA CRASH!

Narrator: IT'S A WARM SUMMER EVENING AT ESSEX COUNTY AIRPORT.

LESS THAN AN HOUR FROM THE BUSY STREETS OF MANHATTAN,

THE SMALL AIRFIELD SERVES MANY OF NEW YORK'S WEALTHY CITIZENS,

BOARDING PRIVATE PLANES FOR WEEKEND GETAWAYS.

PREPARING TO PILOT HIS OWN PLANE,

A MAN WHO IN MANY WAYS IS CONSIDERED AMERICAN ROYALTY--

JOHN F. KENNEDY JR.

Elizabeth Mehren: HE WAS BREATHTAKINGLY HANDSOME.

HE WAS SUCH A CROWN PRINCE,

PEOPLE KEPT WAITING FOR THE MOMENT

WHEN HE WOULD RUN FOR OFFICE PUBLICLY.

IT WAS LIKE SORT OF AN ASSUMPTION, I THINK,

KIND OF QUIETLY IN THE BACKGROUND.

Kennedy: GOOD MORNING.

Narrator: THOUGH JFK JR. HAS NOT YET RUN FOR OFFICE,

HE'S ALREADY A HUGE CELEBRITY--

PEOPLE MAGAZINE'S SEXIEST MAN ALIVE.

Kennedy: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MEET GEORGE.

Narrator: HE'S ALSO THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

OF HIS OWN SPLASHY PUBLICATION,

AND, MOST IMPORTANTLY, HE'S THE ONLY SON

OF THE LATE PRESIDENT JOHN FITZGERALD KENNEDY.

THE PUBLIC FASCINATION WITH JOHN KENNEDY JR.

STEMS FROM HIS FATHER'S EXTRAORDINARY LIFE

AND TRAGIC DEATH.

Reporter: PRESIDENT KENNEDY HAS BEEN ASSASSINATED.

IT'S OFFICIAL NOW. THE PRESIDENT IS DEAD.

Narrator: THE BELOVED PRESIDENT

WAS CUT DOWN BY AN ASSASSIN'S BULLET

JUST THREE DAYS BEFORE JOHN JR.'S THIRD BIRTHDAY.

Mehren: WE WATCHED THIS ADORABLE LITTLE CHILD

PLAYING UNDER THE DESK IN THE OVAL OFFICE.

WE WATCHED HIM RIDING ON HIS DADDY'S BACK

IN THE WHITE HOUSE, YOU KNOW, PLAYING HORSEY WITH HIS DADDY.

WE WATCHED HIM OF COURSE

AT THAT ONE TERRIBLY TRAGIC AND SAD MOMENT

WHEN THE SMALL CHILD IN THE LITTLE SHORT KNEE COAT

SALUTED HIS FATHER'S CASKET AS IT CAME BY.

Narrator: 36 YEARS LATER, ON A JULY EVENING,

JOHN KENNEDY JR. WAITS FOR HIS WIFE, CAROLYN,

WHO'S RUNNING LATE.

THEY'RE FLYING TO A FAMILY WEDDING.

ALSO HITCHING A RIDE ON KENNEDY'S PLANE

IS HIS SISTER-IN-LAW, LAUREN BESSETTE.

Kennedy: ANY WORD FROM YOUR SISTER?

Lauren Bessette: NO. STUCK IN TRAFFIC, I GUESS.

Kennedy: WE'RE DROPPING YOU AT MARTHA'S VINEYARD, RIGHT?

Lauren: YEAH.

Kennedy: ALL RIGHT.

Narrator: JOHN PLANS TO DROP LAUREN OFF

AND CONTINUE ON WITH HIS WIFE TO THE KENNEDY FAMILY COMPOUND

IN HYANNIS PORT, MASSACHUSETTS.

Mehren: I THINK THAT HE WAS IMPATIENT TO GET TO THE WEDDING.

HE WAS PROBABLY TESTY.

WHO WOULDN'T BE?

Kennedy: I WANT TO BE READY TO GO AS SOON AS SHE GETS HERE.

Narrator: THOUGH HE'S HAD HIS PILOT'S LICENSE

FOR MORE THAN A YEAR,

THIS WILL BE THE FIRST TIME KENNEDY HAS FLOWN SOLO

SINCE BREAKING HIS ANKLE SIX WEEKS EARLIER

IN A HANG GLIDING ACCIDENT.

Mehren: HE LIKED EXTREME SPORTS.

HE LIKED TO TAKE RISKS. HE LIKED TO PUSH LIMITS.

HE WASN'T SATISFIED WITH LIVING

JUST IN THE STRAIGHT AND NARROW LANE.

Narrator: AT 8:20 P.M.,

KENNEDY'S WIFE CAROLYN BESSETTE ARRIVES AT THE AIRPORT.

Mehren: CAROLYN BESSETTE WAS AN AMERICAN BEAUTY.

SHE WAS THIS GODDESS-LIKE CREATURE

WITH HER BEAUTIFUL BLOND HAIR PULLED BACK.

THEY REALLY WERE THIS AMAZINGLY BEAUTIFUL COUPLE TOGETHER.

Kennedy: ALL RIGHT LADIES, HOP IN.

I JUST HAVE TO DO A WALK-AROUND, AND THEN WE CAN GET GOING.

HEY, IT'S GONNA BE A NICE WEEKEND.

Narrator: SINCE MARRYING JOHN THREE YEARS AGO,

CAROLYN HAS BEEN PLUNGED INTO THE MEDIA SPOTLIGHT.

PAPARAZZI HOUND THE FAMOUS COUPLE AT EVERY TURN.

Mehren: THEY STILL WENT OUT.

YOU KNOW, THEY WENT JOGGING, THEY WENT WALKING WITH THE DOG,

AND THEY DID THEIR BEST TO KEEP HAVING A LIFE.

Narrator: THE CONSTANT SCRUTINY TURNS UP SIGNS OF TENSION

BETWEEN THE COUPLE.

THERE ARE RUMORS THAT THE MARRIAGE IS IN TROUBLE.

STILL LIMPING FROM HIS ACCIDENT,

KENNEDY MAKES A FINAL PRE-FLIGHT CHECK OF HIS NEW PLANE,

A PIPER SARATOGA.

Tim O'Neill: IT'S A TOP-OF-THE-LINE SINGLE-ENGINE SIX-SEATER.

IT WAS WELL-EQUIPPED WITH A GPS, A GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM.

THE SELLING POINT FOR THE SARATOGA

WAS IT HAS FOUR CLUB SEATS FACING EACH OTHER

IN THE REAR OF THE AIRCRAFT.

Kennedy: SEATBELTS ON, PLEASE.

THERE'S SOME HEADSETS BACK THERE IF YOU WANT TO LISTEN IN.

ALL RIGHT, BATTERY ON, FUEL PUMP ON...

AND PROPELLER IS, UH, CLEAR.

Narrator: THE FLIGHT TO MARTHA'S VINEYARD

SHOULD TAKE ABOUT 90 MINUTES.

AFTER THAT, IT'S JUST A SHORT HOP TO HYANNIS PORT.

O'Neill: THE ROUTE FROM ESSEX COUNTY AIRPORT

TO MARTHA'S VINEYARD, HE WAS QUITE FAMILIAR.

HE'D DONE IT SEVERAL TIMES.

Narrator: AT 8:40 P.M., MORE THAN TWO HOURS BEHIND SCHEDULE,

THE FLIGHT GETS UNDER WAY.

Kennedy: 75 KNOTS.

OH, YEAH.

Narrator: LIKE MANY PRIVATE PILOTS,

KENNEDY IS FLYING UNDER VISUAL FLIGHT RULES, OR VFR.

O'Neill: YOU STAY CLEAR OF CLOUDS.

YOU HAVE TO HAVE GOOD VISIBILITY.

YOU'RE ALWAYS LOOKING OUTSIDE, ABLE TO SEE THE HORIZON

AND ORIENT THE AIRPLANE USING YOUR VISUAL CUES.

Kennedy: AND THAT'S THE BEST VIEW OF NEW YORK

YOU'RE EVER GONNA GET.

O'Neill: ONCE YOU TURN TOWARDS THE EAST,

YOU HAD A NICE VIEW OF MANHATTAN, THE HUDSON RIVER.

ON A GOOD DAY YOU COULD SEE, OH, 30 MILES OR SO AT ALTITUDE.

Narrator: KENNEDY CRUISES AT JUST 5,500 FEET,

A TYPICAL ALTITUDE FOR SMALL PLANES.

AROUND 9:30 P.M., HE LEAVES THE MAINLAND COAST BEHIND.

Kennedy: JUST LEAVING MONTAUK OVER THERE.

Carolyn Bessette: I DON'T SEE A THING.

O'Neill: HIS FLIGHT PATH WAS FOLLOWING THE COAST,

SO HE WOULD WANT TO GO SOUTH OVER THE LONG ISLAND SOUND

TO LINE UP AND SET UP FOR A LONG STRAIGHT IN FOR THE RUNWAY.

Narrator: HE EXPECTS TO REACH THEIR FIRST DESTINATION

IN ABOUT HALF AN HOUR.

Kennedy: WE'LL HAVE YOU ON THE GROUND BY 10 FOR SURE.

Narrator: BUT BY 10 O'CLOCK...

Controller: MARTHA'S VINEYARD TOWER.

Man: AIRPORT SECURITY HERE.

Narrator: THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER AT MARTHA'S VINEYARD AIRPORT

HAS HAD NO CONTACT WITH THE KENNEDY PLANE.

Man: ANY WORD ON THAT FLIGHT?

Controller: UH, NEGATIVE.

I HAVEN'T BEEN NOTIFIED OF THAT ARRIVAL.

Narrator: OVERDUE FLIGHTS ARE NOT UNCOMMON.

BUT AS THE HOURS PASS WITH NO SIGN OF THE PIPER SARATOGA,

A CHILLING REALITY SETS IN.

JOHN F. KENNEDY, HIS WIFE AND SISTER-IN-LAW

ARE MISSING WITHOUT A TRACE.

Mehren: THE KENNEDY CURSE IS, IT'S A, IT'S A HANDY MONIKER,

BUT THERE IS SOME TRUTH TO IT.

Narrator: THE HISTORY OF THE KENNEDY FAMILY

IS MARRED BY TRAGEDY.

JOSEPH KENNEDY JR., JFK JR.'S LATE UNCLE,

DIED WHILE ON A TOP-SECRET MISSION IN WORLD WAR TWO.

PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY AND HIS YOUNGER BROTHER ROBERT

WERE BOTH ASSASSINATED.

Mehren: AND NUMEROUS COUSINS HAVE SINCE DIED.

IT DOES SEEM LIKE THERE'S SOMETHING, SOME PALL

OVER THE FAMILY SOMETIMES.

Narrator: AT 3 A.M., THE FAA CALLS THE COAST GUARD

AND LAUNCHES A SEARCH FOR KENNEDY'S PLANE,

NOW FIVE HOURS OVERDUE.

CURTIS SUMROK OF THE U.S. COAST GUARD

JOINS THE SEARCH.

Curtis Sumrok: I THINK WE DID HAVE A LITTLE BIT

OF A HEIGHTENED HOPE THAT WE WOULD FIND THIS PERSON

BECAUSE THEY DID HAVE SUCH A TRAGIC HISTORY.

Narrator: THE FIRST PRIORITY IS TO NARROW THE SEARCH AREA,

BUT THERE'S LITTLE TO GO ON.

Man: IT LOOKS LIKE HE DIDN'T FILE A FLIGHT PLAN.

Narrator: KENNEDY'S PRECISE ROUTE IS UNKNOWN.

UNDER VISUAL FLIGHT RULES, SMALL PLANES

ARE NOT AS CLOSELY MONITORED BY AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL.

THE COAST GUARD WILL HAVE TO USE RADAR DATA

TO ESTIMATE KENNEDY'S LAST LOCATION.

IT'S AN APPROXIMATION AT BEST.

ONCE PLANES LEAVE THE COAST TO FLY OVER OPEN OCEAN,

THE RADAR SYSTEM HERE ONLY TRACKS THEM

IF THEY'RE FLYING ABOVE 1,100 FEET.

Sumrok: WE DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THAT ALTITUDE,

SO IF, FOR INSTANCE, THERE WAS SOME ATTEMPT TO RECOVER,

IT COULD FLY 100 YARDS OR IT COULD FLY FIVE MILES,

WE DON'T KNOW.

Narrator: ALL THE SEARCHERS KNOW FOR CERTAIN

IS THAT KENNEDY'S PLANE IS MISSING,

AND IT'S UP TO THEM TO FIND IT.

AT FIRST LIGHT, U.S. MILITARY

AND LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES

JOIN FORCES WITH THE COAST GUARD

IN A DESPERATE HUNT FOR KENNEDY'S PLANE.

EVERYONE KNOWS THAT IF THE SMALL PLANE DITCHED AT SEA,

SURVIVORS WON'T LAST LONG IN THE COLD ATLANTIC WATERS.

Jeff Guzzetti: THE SCALE OF THE EFFORT

TO SEARCH FOR THE AIRCRAFT,

IT WAS MASSIVE.

TYPICALLY THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN IN MOST GENERAL AVIATION ACCIDENTS,

BUT THIS WAS, YOU KNOW, THIS WAS JFK JR.,

AND IT CAPTURED THE EYES OF THE COUNTRY AND THE WORLD.

Narrator: NEWS THAT JFK JR.-- ONE OF AMERICA'S FAVORITE SONS--

IS MISSING STUNS THE NATION.

THE PUBLIC WANTS ANSWERS.

Sumrok: AS SOON AS THIS STORY BROKE,

THE MEDIA VANS WERE ON THE ROLL,

AND IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY NEWS, MAJOR NEWS ORGANIZATION

HAD A PRESENCE IN OUR PARKING LOT.

Narrator: TRYING TO SPOT THE THREE SURVIVORS

IN MILES OF OPEN WATER IS A MAMMOTH TASK.

Sumrok: IT'S EXTREMELY DIFFICULT

BECAUSE YOU'RE BASICALLY LOOKING FOR SOMETHING

THAT'S ABOUT THE SIZE OF A BASKETBALL,

AND YOU'RE FLYING 100 TO 300 FEET ABOVE THAT.

THE OUTCRY FROM THE PUBLIC WAS GREAT,

AND THERE WERE PEOPLE GETTING IN THEIR PRIVATE BOATS

TO GO OUT AND HELP SEARCH.

Narrator: AS THE SEARCH EFFORT CONTINUES,

ALL OF AMERICA SEEMS TO HOLD ITS BREATH.

Mehren: PEOPLE WERE CAPTIVATED BY THE STORY

BECAUSE, ON THE ONE HAND, HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN?

ON THE OTHER HAND, THERE WAS THIS KENNEDY CURSE.

Narrator: AS THE HOURS PASS,

MILLIONS ACROSS AMERICA AND AROUND THE WORLD

BEGIN TO FEAR THE WORST.

JOHN KENNEDY JR. MAY BE LOST FOREVER.

THE DAY AFTER KENNEDY'S PLANE WENT MISSING,

SEARCHERS MAKE A GRIM DISCOVERY--

PIECES OF AIRCRAFT DEBRIS FLOATING IN THE FAST CURRENTS

OFF MARTHA'S VINEYARD.

Sumrok: THERE WAS PART OF THE NOSE WHEEL, SOME CUSHIONS.

ONE OF THE SUITCASES WAS IN THERE,

AND THEN VARIOUS OTHER PARTS

THAT WERE UNIDENTIFIABLE FROM THE AIRCRAFT.

Narrator: THE SHATTERED PIECES LEAVE LITTLE HOPE

THAT ANYONE IS ALIVE.

Sumrok: EVERYONE WAS HOPEFUL THAT THERE WOULD BE ANOTHER OUTCOME,

BUT IT JUST NEVER CAME.

Narrator: MEANWHILE, THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD

IS ALREADY AT WORK TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WENT WRONG.

Robert Pearce: HOW YA DOING?

Narrator: FORMER U.S. ARMY PILOT ROBERT PEARCE

WILL BE THE INVESTIGATOR IN CHARGE.

Pearce: THIS ONE'S A NATIONAL TRAGEDY.

PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE WANTING ANSWERS.

Guzzetti: IN TERMS OF THE VISIBILITY,

THE CURIOSITY BY THE AMERICAN PEOPLE,

THIS WAS BOB PEARCE'S BIGGEST ASSIGNMENT

AS AN INVESTIGATOR IN CHARGE.

Pearce: LET'S SEE WHAT THE FBI HAS ON HIM.

Narrator: PEARCE IMMEDIATELY FACES THE POSSIBILITY

THE PLANE WAS BROUGHT DOWN BY A DELIBERATE CRIMINAL ACT.

Pearce: WELL, WELL, WELL.

Narrator: FBI FILES REVEAL THAT JOHN F. KENNEDY JR.

HAS BEEN THE TARGET OF AT LEAST THREE KIDNAPPING THREATS,

THE MOST RECENT JUST FOUR YEARS EARLIER IN 1995.

Pearce: NOT EVERYBODY LOVED THE GUY.

Guzzetti: BECAUSE IT WAS A POLITICAL FIGURE ON BOARD,

THERE WERE MANY CAUSES THAT WERE BEING REPEATED

ABOUT POTENTIAL TERRORIST ATTACKS,

A BOMB ON BOARD.

WAS IT SHOT DOWN?

Narrator: THE ANSWERS COULD LIE WITH THE WRECKAGE,

BUT IT'S STILL LOST AT THE BOTTOM OF THE ATLANTIC.

NAVY DIVERS SCOUR THE OCEAN FLOOR

SEARCHING FOR SUNKEN DEBRIS.

Pearce: LET'S GO.

Narrator: FOR NOW, INVESTIGATORS MUST LEARN WHAT THEY CAN

FROM THE SARATOGA'S FLIGHT PATH.

THEY COMPILE DATA FROM COASTAL RADAR STATIONS

TO BUILD A PICTURE OF HOW THE PLANE WAS FLYING.

Pearce: OKAY. SO FAR, SO GOOD.

THEN JUST AS HE LEAVES THE COAST,

HE SUDDENLY STARTS HEADING AWAY FROM MARTHA'S VINEYARD.

WHY IS HE FLYING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION?

Guzzetti: WE ALWAYS CONSIDER RECORDED RADAR DATA

AS A POOR MAN'S BLACK BOX.

IT'S A WAY TO GET SOME INFORMATION

IN REGARDS TO THE FLIGHT PATH, THE AIRSPEED, THE ALTITUDE,

AND THAT WAS VERY HELPFUL IN THIS INVESTIGATION.

Pearce: LET'S SEE WHAT HE'S DOING OUT THERE.

Narrator: ABOUT 30 MILES FROM MARTHA'S VINEYARD,

THE PLANE MAKES A SERIES OF UNUSUAL MANEUVERS.

Pearce: OKAY. FIRST HE DESCENDS.

THEN HE TURNS RIGHT AND CLIMBS AGAIN.

LEVEL FOR ONE MINUTE, THEN LEFT, THEN RIGHT AGAIN,

FOLLOWED BY A HIGH-SPEED DIVE.

YOU KNOW, HE'S FLYING

LIKE SOMEONE WHO CAN'T CONTROL THE PLANE.

Jim Walters: THE PATTERN THAT WAS INDICATED BY THE RADAR

WAS QUITE UNUSUAL FOR A NORMAL TYPE

OF DESCENT AND APPROACH TO AN AIRPORT.

WE DON'T KNOW AT THAT POINT EXACTLY WHY.

Narrator: FINALLY, ON JULY 20th,

FOUR DAYS AFTER KENNEDY'S PLANE WENT DOWN,

U.S. NAVY DIVERS LOCATE THE SUNKEN WRECKAGE

AND THE BODIES OF THE THREE PEOPLE ON BOARD.

Man: TODAY, UH, WE WERE ABLE TO BRING CLOSURE TO TWO FAMILIES

AND I THINK THAT, WE REALIZE, IS VERY IMPORTANT.

Sumrok: I CAN STILL REMEMBER PICTURES OF HIM SALUTING

AS THE MOTORCADE WENT BY IN THE FUNERAL PROCESSION,

AND, UH, I THINK THAT WAS PROBABLY THE HARDEST PART

IS SEEING THE TRAGIC LOSS

OF SO MANY OF THE GENERATIONS THERE.

Mehren: JOHN F. KENNEDY WAS REALLY THE CROWN PRINCE

OF THIS FAMILY.

IT SEEMS ALMOST SHAKESPEAREAN IN ITS,

IN ITS TRAGEDY TO SEE THE WAY WE LOST HIM.

Guzzetti: HEY. JEFF GUZZETTI.

CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT YOU HAVE SO FAR.

BEEN FOLLOWING THIS ON TELEVISION.

Narrator: NTSB INVESTIGATOR JEFF GUZZETTI

FLIES OUT FROM WASHINGTON TO JOIN THE TEAM.

Guzzetti: MY BOSS AT THE TIME CALLED ME, SAYING LISTEN,

IF THEY FIND THE WRECKAGE, YOU'RE GONNA BE THE GUY

THAT'S GOING UP THERE TO LEAD THE EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE.

OKAY, READY WHEN YOU ARE.

Narrator: HE STARTS BY STUDYING VIDEO EVIDENCE,

IMAGES OF THE WRECKAGE CAPTURED BY NAVY DIVERS.

Guzzetti: CAN YOU FAST-FORWARD TO THE MAIN WRECKAGE?

Narrator: FOR GUZZETTI, THE WAY THE PIECES HAVE FALLEN

AND THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THEM ARE IMPORTANT CLUES.

Guzzetti: YOU HAVE TO ANSWER THE FIRST QUESTION,

DID THE AIRPLANE CRASH AND DISINTEGRATE UPON IMPACT

OR WAS THERE SOME SORT OF INFLIGHT BREAKUP?

Narrator: HE HOPES TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION

BY LOCATING WHAT INVESTIGATORS CALL THE FOUR CORNERS.

Guzzetti: WING. WING.

TAIL.

NOSE.

Narrator: WHEN THE NOSE, THE TAIL AND THE TWO WINGS

ARE FOUND CLOSE TOGETHER,

IT'S POWERFUL EVIDENCE THAT THE PLANE WAS INTACT

WHEN IT HIT THE OCEAN.

Guzzetti: LOOKS LIKE IT WAS IN ONE PIECE TILL IT HIT THE WATER.

ALL THE MAJOR COMPONENTS OF THE AIRPLANE

WERE IN A LOCALIZED AREA

120 FEET BENEATH THE SURFACE OF THE WATER.

SO WE WERE VERY CONFIDENT

THAT THIS WAS NOT AN INFLIGHT BREAKUP.

Kennedy: AND THAT'S THE BEST VIEW OF NEW YORK

YOU'RE EVER GONNA GET.

Narrator: THE DISCOVERY HELPS PUT TO REST LINGERING FEARS

THAT THERE COULD HAVE BEEN A BOMB ON BOARD.

Guzzetti: OH, THIS IS GREAT.

Narrator: FOR INVESTIGATORS, ELIMINATING ONE POTENTIAL CAUSE

IS A STEP FORWARD, BUT THE JOB HAS ONLY BEGUN.

GUZZETTI KNOWS HE'LL BE FEELING INTENSE PRESSURE

EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.

Guzzetti: THE VISIBILITY, THE CRUSH OF THE MEDIA,

THE EYES OF THE WORLD WERE GONNA BE ON THIS,

SO FROM THAT STANDPOINT I KNEW I HAD TO DO MY JOB BY THE BOOK.

GUYS, THAT'S TAIL.

YOU GOTTA PUT THAT BACK THERE.

AND THE CABLES, GET THE CABLES ALL TOGETHER IN ONE SPOT.

LET'S KEEP THEM OVER THERE.

Narrator: SALVAGE EFFORTS HAVE RECOVERED 75%

OF JOHN F. KENNEDY JR.'S PIPER SARATOGA FROM THE OCEAN.

Guzzetti: IF WE WERE EVER GOING TO PROVIDE A STORY TO THE PUBLIC

AND TO THE AVIATION COMMUNITY AND TO THE FAMILY,

WE NEEDED TO GLEAN AS MUCH EVIDENCE AS WE COULD,

AND THAT MEANT TRYING TO FIND

EVERY PIECE THAT WAS AVAILABLE IN THE WRECKAGE.

EACH AND EVERY PIECE, NO MATTER HOW SMALL,

WE NEED TO KNOW WHERE IT WAS FOUND.

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS BEGIN A METHODICAL ANALYSIS OF THE DEBRIS.

Guzzetti: I WANT TO SEE EVERY PIECE.

WE START AT THE WING TIPS. WE WORK OUR WAY IN.

Narrator: THE SMALL PLANE WAS NOT REQUIRED TO CARRY FLIGHT RECORDERS.

GUZZETTI WILL HAVE TO UNCOVER THE STORY BEHIND THIS CRASH

BY INTERPRETING THE CLUES

IMPRINTED ON THE CRUMPLED DEBRIS.

Guzzetti: OKAY, LET'S SEE HOW YOU HIT THE WATER.

Narrator: IF GUZZETTI CAN UNDERSTAND

EXACTLY HOW THE PLANE HIT THE WATER,

IT MIGHT TELL HIM WHAT WENT WRONG.

Guzzetti: THE RIGHT WING IS MUCH MORE DAMAGED THAN THE LEFT WING.

Narrator: BIT BY BIT, THE DAMAGE REVEALS HOW THE PLANE CAME DOWN.

Guzzetti: WHEN YOU LOOK AT CRUSH MARKS ON A STRUCTURE,

THEY CAN TELL YOU A LOT.

THERE'S SOMETHING CALLED ACCORDION CRUSH DAMAGE,

WHERE YOU JUST TAKE THE STRUCTURE

AND THE IMPACT JUST CRUSHES IT DOWN

AND IT LOOKS LIKE AN ACCORDION,

WHICH GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT THE ANGLE OF IMPACT WAS.

HUH.

I WASN'T EXPECTING THAT.

THE ROOF'S BADLY DAMAGED, BUT NO DAMAGE ON THE FLOOR.

I THINK THEY WERE UPSIDE DOWN.

HE'S BANKING RIGHT, HIT THE WATER LIKE THIS.

Narrator: THE DISCOVERY PAINTS A TERRIFYING PICTURE

OF THE FLIGHT'S FINAL MOMENTS.

Kennedy: DAMN IT. COME ON!

LEVEL OFF!

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS KNOW HOW THE PLANE HIT THE WATER,

BUT THEY STILL DON'T KNOW WHY.

AND MOUNTING PUBLIC PRESSURE IS NEVER FAR FROM THEIR MINDS.

Guzzetti: I HAD HEARD THAT THERE WAS A NEWSPAPER

THAT WAS OFFERING A QUARTER OF A MILLION DOLLARS

FOR ANY PHOTOGRAPH OF THE WRECKAGE.

AND SINCE I WAS IN CHARGE OF TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS

OF THE WRECKAGE,

I HAD TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL THE PHOTOGRAPHS

WERE GONNA BE SECURED AND NOT LEAKING OUT.

Pearce: AH, DAMN. IT'S TIME FOR ANOTHER NEWS CONFERENCE.

Walters: YOU HAVE PRESSURE FROM THE MEDIA.

THEY REALLY WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON,

AND IF YOU'RE A MID-LEVEL INVESTIGATOR,

YOU HAVE THE PRESSURE FROM YOUR BOSS TO GET THINGS DONE

SO THAT THE MEDIA AND THE PUBLIC

CAN ACTUALLY BE INFORMED AS TO WHAT'S GOING ON.

Narrator: THE SARATOGA IS A SINGLE-ENGINE PROPELLER PLANE.

IF THAT ENGINE FAILED,

IT MIGHT EXPLAIN WHY KENNEDY LOST CONTROL OF HIS PLANE.

GUZZETTI EXAMINES THE PROPELLER BLADES.

THE WAY THEY'RE BENT AND TWISTED

TELLS HIM THEY WERE SPINNING WHEN THEY HIT THE WATER.

Guzzetti: THE ONLY WAY TO GET THAT TO HAPPEN

IS TO HAVE A PROPELLER UNDER POWER,

BEING PROPELLED BY THE ENGINE,

SO HE DIDN'T HAVE A POWER PLANT PROBLEM.

Narrator: THE EVIDENCE IS CLEAR.

Guzzetti: THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT ENGINE.

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS SHIFT THEIR ATTENTION

TO THE COMPLEX MECHANISMS THAT CONTROL THE MOTION OF THE PLANE.

Pearce: ALL RIGHT.

LET'S RUN THE CABLES AND SEE WHAT KIND OF SHAPE THEY'RE IN.

THAT'S IT.

RUN IT RIGHT THROUGH THE PULLEY, STRAIGHT BACK TO THE AILERON.

Narrator: A SYSTEM OF CABLES AND RODS CONNECTS THE YOKE

TO THE AILERONS AND FLAPS, ELEVATORS AND RUDDER

THAT STEER THE AIRPLANE IN FLIGHT.

Walters: WHAT ABOUT FLIGHT CONTROLS?

WAS THERE SOMETHING ABOUT THE WAY THE AIRPLANE WAS FLYING

THAT WAS NOT PILOT-INDUCED

BUT WAS ACTUALLY A PROBLEM WITH THE AIRPLANE ITSELF?

Narrator: IF A CONTROL CABLE BREAKS MID-FLIGHT...

Kennedy: WHAT THE HELL?

Narrator: IT CAN LEAD TO A CATASTROPHIC LOSS OF CONTROL.

Kennedy: NOTHING'S WORKING.

Lauren: JOHN, WHAT'S GOING ON?

Kennedy: IT'S OKAY.

IT'S OKAY.

Narrator: THE ENTIRE WORLD WANTS TO KNOW IF THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED

IN THE NIGHT SKY OFF THE COAST OF MARTHA'S VINEYARD.

A CLOSE EXAMINATION OF THE FLIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM

FROM JFK JR.'S PIPER SARATOGA...

Pearce: UP...

Narrator: PROVIDES CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE.

Pearce: ...AND DOWN.

Narrator: NONE OF THE CONTROL SURFACES MALFUNCTIONED.

Pearce: THE AILERON CABLES ALSO SEEM FINE.

THE CABLE SYSTEM WAS WORKING.

Narrator: THERE'S ALSO NO SIGN

THAT THE CABLES SNAPPED BEFORE THE CRASH.

Guzzetti: WE FOUND CONTROL CABLES THAT WERE SEPARATED,

BUT THEY WERE SEPARATED IN WHAT WE CALL TENSILE OVERLOAD

WHERE IT WAS JUST DUE TO IMPACT FORCES,

AS OPPOSED TO A CORRODED CABLE

OR SOME SORT OF PRE-EXISTING FAILURE.

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS ARE LEFT TO WONDER--

WHAT ELSE COULD HAVE BROUGHT DOWN JFK JR.'S PLANE?

Guzzetti: ALL RIGHT.

NOW LET'S CHECK IF THE ATTITUDE INDICATOR FAILED SOMEHOW.

Narrator: THERE'S ANOTHER FAILURE

THAT MIGHT EXPLAIN THE BIZARRE FLIGHT PATH.

Kennedy: LOOKING GOOD.

Narrator: PILOTS RELY ON ONE INSTRUMENT MORE THAN ANY OTHER

TO WARN THEM WHEN THEY AREN'T FLYING STRAIGHT AND LEVEL.

THE ATTITUDE INDICATOR TRACKS THE PLANE'S MOTION IN SPACE--

UP AND DOWN, LEFT AND RIGHT.

IF IT MALFUNCTIONED AND GAVE KENNEDY FAULTY INFORMATION,

IT MIGHT HAVE FOOLED HIM

INTO STEERING THE PLANE INTO THE OCEAN.

Kennedy: DAMN IT.

COME ON!

LEVEL OFF!

Guzzetti: WE HARVESTED ALL OF THOSE COMPONENTS.

WE TOOK THEM TO THE NTSB MATERIALS LABORATORY

AND PHOTOGRAPHED MANY OF THEM

AND DISASSEMBLED THEM AND LOOKED INSIDE.

THERE GOES THAT IDEA.

Narrator: BUT AFTER A THOROUGH EXAMINATION

OF ALL THE AIRCRAFT'S INSTRUMENTS,

THE SEARCH FOR CLUES COMES UP EMPTY.

Guzzetti: THE INSTRUMENTS WERE WORKING PERFECTLY.

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS CONCLUDE THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG

WITH THE PIPER SARATOGA.

Guzzetti: WE FOUND NO EVIDENCE

OF ANY KIND OF PRE-IMPACT MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION.

Pearce: ALL RIGHT.

SO YOU SAW HIM OUT ON THE TARMAC.

Narrator: THE FOCUS NOW SHIFTS TO THE PILOT.

Pearce: DO YOU KNOW WHAT TIME THAT WAS?

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS ASK WITNESSES TO HELP THEM PIECE TOGETHER

THE FINAL DAYS OF JOHN KENNEDY JR.'S LIFE.

Pearce: NOW, DID YOU HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH MR. KENNEDY?

Narrator: THEY HOPE SOMEONE WILL TELL THEM SOMETHING

THAT MIGHT EXPLAIN WHY HE LOST CONTROL OF HIS PLANE.

Pearce: AND WHEN HE SPOKE TO YOU, DID HE...

Walters: YOU'RE GONNA WANT TO DO KIND OF A 72-HOUR ANALYSIS

OF WHAT THE PILOT WAS GOING THROUGH PRIOR TO THE EVENT,

WHAT HIS ACTIONS WERE, WHAT HIS STRESSORS MIGHT HAVE BEEN,

WHO HE TALKED TO, WHAT WAS ON HIS MIND,

WHAT HIS PHYSICAL CONDITION MIGHT HAVE BEEN.

THOSE KIND OF THINGS BECOME VERY IMPORTANT

IN AN ACCIDENT LIKE THIS.

Guzzetti: WHY DID THE PILOT

FAIL TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE?

Pearce: WAS THERE ANYTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY?

Narrator: THEY LEARN THAT KENNEDY WAS SEEN

LEANING ON CRUTCHES JUST BEFORE THE FLIGHT.

Walters: HE HAD HAD SURGERY DONE ON HIS ANKLE,

AND HE HAD JUST HAD A WALKING TYPE OF CAST REMOVED

THE DAY BEFORE.

Narrator: PILOTS NEED BOTH THEIR HANDS AND THEIR FEET

TO FLY A PLANE.

Walters: WHEN YOU APPLY RUDDERS,

THE RUDDER PEDAL PRESSURE IN AN AIRPLANE,

IT OBVIOUSLY GOES THROUGH THE LEG AND THROUGH THE ANKLE.

Narrator: COULD KENNEDY'S INJURY EXPLAIN THE FATAL FLIGHT PATH?

A CHECK OF MEDICAL RECORDS PROVIDES THE ANSWER.

Pearce: THERE WE HAVE THE X-RAY OF THE LEFT ANKLE.

Narrator: THOUGH HE WAS STILL USING CRUTCHES SOME OF THE TIME,

HIS RECORDS SHOW HIS ANKLE WAS STRONG ENOUGH TO FLY THE PLANE.

Pearce: HE WAS FIT TO FLY.

THAT ANKLE SHOULDN'T HAVE GIVEN HIM ANY TROUBLE AT ALL.

Narrator: IT'S ANOTHER DEAD END.

Pearce: NEXT.

Narrator: THE SEARCH FOR CLUES CONTINUES,

UNCOVERING WORRISOME DETAILS ABOUT A ROCKY MARRIAGE

AND MOUNTING STRESS IN KENNEDY'S LIFE.

Pearce: I'M JUST TRYING TO GET A SENSE OF HIS STATE OF MIND.

NOW, I UNDERSTAND HIS MARRIAGE WAS GOING THROUGH A ROUGH PATCH?

Narrator: FOR MONTHS, JOHN AND CAROLYN'S TROUBLED RELATIONSHIP

HAS BEEN FODDER FOR THE TABLOIDS.

PERHAPS THE STRAIN DISTRACTED KENNEDY

FROM THE CHALLENGING TASK OF PILOTING HIS PLANE.

Mehren: EVERYONE COMES OUT AFTERWARDS

AND TALKS ABOUT THE THIS SPAT AND THE THAT SPAT

AND THAT SHE WAS VERY DIFFICULT AND THAT SHE WAS DEMANDING...

Paparazzi: BACK UP AND LOOK THIS WAY, CAROLYN!

Mehren: BUT YOU NEVER KNOW HOW MUCH OF THAT

IS JUST KIND OF PEOPLE SPECULATING.

Kennedy: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MEET GEORGE.

Narrator: AFTER A HIGH PROFILE LAUNCH,

KENNEDY'S MAGAZINE IS ALSO IN TROUBLE.

Kennedy: NO, YOU SHOULDN'T WORRY.

NO, WE'VE GOT A GREAT PLAN IN PLACE GOING FORWARD.

YEAH.

NO, IT'S GONNA BE FINE. YEAH.

Mehren: HE GENUINELY LAUNCHED THAT MAGAZINE, GEORGE,

WITH AN INTEREST IN PROVIDING A VOICE AND VEHICLE

TO BRING POLITICS TO HIS GENERATION.

Kennedy: NO, YOU HAVE NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT.

Mehren: MAGAZINES ARE PRETTY EXPENSIVE AND HARD TO RUN.

IT WASN'T DOING TOO WELL BY THE END.

Pearce: NOW, MR. KENNEDY LED A VERY BUSY LIFE.

I'M SURE HE HAD A LOT ON HIS MIND THAT NIGHT.

MAYBE THAT'S WHAT RATTLED HIM WHEN HE WAS UP THERE.

Walters: AS IN ANY ACTIVITY,

YOUR STATE OF MIND AFFECTS YOUR BEHAVIOR,

AND FOR A PILOT,

THAT PILOT MAY NOT REALIZE THAT THE STRESS HE'S UNDER

CAN AFFECT HOW HE FLIES

AND WHAT HIS DECISION-MAKING SKILLS ARE AT THAT POINT

IN RELATION TO HOW SAFE IS IT TO GO FLY TODAY.

Kennedy: SARATOGA NINER-2-5-3,

READY FOR TAKEOFF FROM RUNWAY 2-2.

Narrator: JOHN KENNEDY JR. APPEARED TO BE THE DEFINITION

OF GRACE UNDER PRESSURE,

BUT WHAT WAS THE REAL STORY?

DID HE HAVE THE PILOTING SKILLS

TO HANDLE THE ADDED PRESSURE OF FLYING HIS OWN PLANE?

Pearce: OVER 300 FLIGHT HOURS.

HE WASN'T A TOTAL ROOKIE.

HE HAD A FAIR NUMBER OF FLIGHT HOURS UNDER HIS BELT.

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS CHECK JOHN KENNEDY'S TRAINING RECORDS

TO LEARN ALL THEY CAN ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCE AS A PILOT.

Pearce: SO WHAT DID HE LEARN IN 300 HOURS?

Kennedy: I'D LIKE TO TRY A FEW ILS APPROACHES AGAIN TODAY.

Narrator: KENNEDY HAD BEEN TAKING LESSONS ON AND OFF

FOR 17 YEARS,

BUT HE HAD RELATIVELY LITTLE EXPERIENCE FLYING ON HIS OWN.

Kennedy: UH, STARTING MY DESCENT NOW?

Walters: IN MR. KENNEDY'S CASE, OF THE 310 HOURS HE HAD,

ONLY ABOUT 70 TO 75 WERE BY HIMSELF FLYING SOLO.

Pearce: ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX...

Narrator: THERE'S ANOTHER TROUBLING DETAIL.

Pearce: 11 DIFFERENT INSTRUCTORS.

I CAN'T IMAGINE ANY OF THEM GOT TO KNOW THE GUY TOO WELL.

Narrator: KENNEDY TRAINED

WITH A LOT OF DIFFERENT INSTRUCTORS DURING THOSE YEARS.

Kennedy: SHOULD I THROTTLE BACK MORE?

Walters: I WOULD NOT WANT TO TRAIN

THE WAY MR. KENNEDY ENDED UP TRAINING.

I WOULD PREFER TO STICK WITH ONE INSTRUCTOR,

ESPECIALLY DURING THE INSTRUMENT PORTION OF THAT TRAINING.

Kennedy: HEY.

SORRY, I'M LATE.

ARE YOU WITH ME TODAY?

Narrator: TIM O'NEILL WAS ONE OF JOHN KENNEDY'S INSTRUCTORS.

O'Neill: HE WAS A VERY BUSY PERSON,

SO HE'D BE RUNNING IN AND RUNNING OUT.

SOMETIMES HE'D BE RUNNING LATE.

Kennedy: HATE THAT HIGHWAY. IT'S ALWAYS PACKED.

O'Neill: IT'S NOT VERY HELPFUL IN THE LEARNING PROCESS

TO HAVE OTHER THINGS ON YOUR MIND.

Pearce: SO I READ WHAT YOU TOLD MY COLLEAGUE.

I JUST NEED TO CONFIRM A FEW THINGS.

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS LEARN OF ANOTHER TRAGIC PRE-FLIGHT CHOICE--

ONE THAT MIGHT HAVE MADE ALL THE DIFFERENCE.

Pearce: YOU ACTUALLY OFFERED TO MAKE THE FLIGHT WITH HIM

ON THAT NIGHT?

Narrator: ONE OF HIS INSTRUCTORS OFFERED TO FLY WITH HIM

THE DAY OF THE CRASH.

Kennedy: THANKS FOR THE OFFER, BUT I WANT TO DO IT ALONE.

YEAH. NO, I APPRECIATE IT, THOUGH. THANKS.

Walters: THAT IS PROBABLY THE BIGGEST POINT RIGHT HERE

IS HE MADE THE DECISION TO CONTINUE,

NOT REALIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF THE STRESSORS

THAT WERE ON HIM HIMSELF AND HIS OWN LIMITATIONS.

Pearce: HE'S ONLY QUALIFIED FOR VISUAL FLYING.

HE HADN'T FINISHED HIS TRAINING FOR INSTRUMENT-ONLY FLIGHTS.

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS ALSO LEARN

KENNEDY WAS STILL WORKING TOWARDS HIS INSTRUMENT RATING,

A CRUCIAL QUALIFICATION FOR FLYING IN LOW VISIBILITY,

INCLUDING THE OFTEN PROBLEMATIC CONDITIONS FOUND

WHEN FLYING OVER OPEN WATER AT NIGHT.

O'Neill: INSTRUMENT FLIGHT

IS ONE OF THE HARDEST RATINGS TO GET

WHEN YOU'RE MOVING UP THROUGH YOUR LICENSES AND RATINGS,

AND IT INVOLVES FLYING WITHOUT LOOKING OUTSIDE THE AIRCRAFT

SO THAT WHEN YOU'RE IN CLOUDS

YOU CAN MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT.

Pearce: SO HE WASN'T READY TO FLY IF HE COULDN'T SEE.

SO COULD HE SEE OR NOT?

I'LL NEED THE MOST DETAILED WEATHER AVAILABLE.

O'Neill: WITH AN INSTRUMENT RATING YOU'RE ABLE TO TAKE OFF,

FLY INTO, THROUGH THE CLOUDS AND, UH, AND CONTINUE ON,

WHERE VISUAL FLIGHT RULES, YOU WOULD BE UNABLE TO TAKE OFF.

Narrator: COMPUTER RECORDS REVEAL THAT KENNEDY

CHECKED THE WEATHER ONLINE AT 6:34 P.M.

IT WAS A CLEAR DAY WITH GOOD VISIBILITY.

BUT CAROLYN'S LAST-MINUTE SHOPPING

AND THE HEAVY RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC

PUSHED THEIR DEPARTURE TIME BACK BY MORE THAN TWO HOURS.

Kennedy: ANY WORD FROM YOUR SISTER?

Lauren: NO. STUCK IN TRAFFIC, I GUESS.

Kennedy: YOU KNOW, IT'S FRIDAY.

I TOLD HER IT WAS GONNA BE JAMMED.

Narrator: BY THAT TIME, WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE DETERIORATING,

WITH HAZE MAKING IT HARD TO SEE THE HORIZON.

Pearce: I JUST NEED TO CONFIRM WHAT CONDITIONS WERE LIKE.

Narrator: INTERVIEWS WITH PILOTS FLYING THAT EVENING

REVEAL THAT VISIBILITY WAS ESPECIALLY BAD

BELOW 6,000 FEET, THE ALTITUDE AT WHICH KENNEDY WAS FLYING.

Pearce: IT MUST HAVE BEEN PRETTY HARD TO SEE.

Walters: THERE WAS SOME HAZE COMING AND GOING,

AND SOME STATIONS REPORTED SOME MIST.

Kennedy: STARTING TO GET A BIT SOCKED IN.

HOPE IT CLEARS UP FOR THE WEEKEND.

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS BELIEVE KENNEDY FOUND HIMSELF

FLYING IN DIFFICULT VISUAL CONDITIONS,

CONDITIONS TOO DARK AND HAZY

FOR A PILOT USED TO RELYING ON VISUAL CUES

INSTEAD OF INSTRUMENTS.

Pearce: NOT A GREAT NIGHT FOR THIS GUY TO BE FLYING.

Walters: WEATHER PLAYS AN IMMENSE ROLE

IN ALL AVIATION ACCIDENTS,

EVEN THE ONES THAT YOU MIGHT NOT THINK IT WOULD.

Narrator: THEY WONDER IF KENNEDY

WAS GETTING WEATHER UPDATES DURING THE FLIGHT.

Kennedy: 127.25.

Narrator: TO GET ACCURATE INFORMATION,

HE WOULD HAVE HAD TO TUNE HIS RADIO

TO THE WEATHER TRANSMISSION FROM MARTHA'S VINEYARD.

THE RADIO FROM KENNEDY'S PLANE

IS AMONG THE MANY PARTS SALVAGED FROM THE OCEAN.

INVESTIGATORS TEST THE RADIO TO CONFIRM THAT IT WAS WORKING.

THEN THEY CHECK TO SEE IF IT WAS SET AT THE RIGHT FREQUENCY.

Guzzetti: FINGERS CROSSED,

WE CAN FIGURE OUT WHAT HE HAD DIALED IN.

SHOW ME THAT FREQUENCY AGAIN.

126.25.

HE WAS OFF BY ONE DIGIT.

Narrator: KENNEDY HAD TUNED HIS RADIO TO THE WRONG FREQUENCY.

Walters: IN THIS CASE, THE FREQUENCY WAS OFF BY ONE NUMBER.

Narrator: THE DISCOVERY TELLS INVESTIGATORS

THAT KENNEDY LIKELY WASN'T GETTING

THE WEATHER UPDATES HE NEEDED.

BUT IT TELLS THEM SOMETHING ELSE AS WELL--

SOMETHING THAT MAY FINALLY EXPLAIN THE FATAL CRASH

THAT SADDENED AN ENTIRE NATION.

INVESTIGATORS ZERO IN ON A THEORY

THAT MAY EXPLAIN THE FATAL ACCIDENT

THAT KILLED JOHN F. KENNEDY JR.,

HIS WIFE CAROLYN AND HER SISTER LAUREN.

AT THE CENTER OF IT ALL, A PILOT IN OVER HIS HEAD

BATTLING A MOUNTING LIST OF PRESSURES.

Kennedy: NO. YOU SHOULDN'T WORRY.

NO, WE'VE GOT IT...

Walters: I'M HAVING PROBLEMS AT WORK.

I NEED TO GET TO THIS WEDDING.

MY ANKLE HURTS.

I GET IN THE AIRPLANE, THAT'S WHY I BOUGHT THIS AIRPLANE.

I NEED TO GET FROM POINT A TO POINT B.

THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT OF HAVING THIS AIRPLANE

AND LEARNING TO FLY, SO WE'RE GONNA GO.

Guzzetti: I THINK I KNOW WHY THINGS STARTED TO GO WRONG.

Kennedy: 127.25.

Narrator: A BADLY TUNED RADIO AND A HAZY NIGHT

ALLOW INVESTIGATORS TO IMAGINE A SCENARIO

THAT MAY EXPLAIN THE FLIGHT'S TRAGIC END.

Guzzetti: IT STARTED AFTER HE CLEARED NEW YORK.

Narrator: IN HAZY CONDITIONS, KENNEDY WOULD HAVE

NO VISUAL REFERENCE TO TELL HIM WHICH WAY IS UP.

Guzzetti: VISIBILITY WAS BAD, AND IT'S GETTING WORSE.

HE STARTS HIS DESCENT.

O'Neill: AS IT WAS GETTING DARK IN MARGINAL CONDITIONS,

HE WAS IN A VERY PRECARIOUS AREA

FOR VISUAL FLIGHT RULE, OR VFR, FLYING.

AS HE HEADED OUT OVER THE WATER

AND ALL THOSE LIGHTS WERE BEHIND HIM,

ALL THAT VISUAL REFERENCE WAS GONE.

Guzzetti: HE LOOKS AWAY FROM HIS INSTRUMENTS

FOR LIKE A SECOND.

Kennedy: 127.25.

Guzzetti: REMEMBER, HIS FREQUENCY WAS OFF.

MAYBE HE WAS TRYING TO TUNE THE RADIO.

Walters: HE MIGHT LOOK TO SEE IF THE FREQUENCY HAD CHANGED

OR IF HE HAD GOT IT WRONG IN HIS MIND.

Kennedy: STILL NOTHING.

JUST SOMETHING WEIRD WITH THE RADIO.

NO BIG DEAL.

Walters: WHILE ALL OF THAT'S GOING ON,

IT'S QUITE EASY FOR THE AIRPLANE

TO SLIP INTO A LITTLE BIT OF A BANK

ONE DIRECTION OR ANOTHER.

O'Neill: IF YOU'RE IN A TURN FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME,

YOUR INNER EAR CAN FEEL A REVERSE OF THE TURN

AND YOU CAN BECOME SPATIALLY DISORIENTED VERY EASILY.

Kennedy: WHAT THE?

WHAT?

THAT CAN'T BE.

Guzzetti: WHEN HE LOOKS BACK,

HIS INSTRUMENTS ARE TELLING HIM ONE THING, HIS SENSES ANOTHER.

Kennedy: WHAT THE?

O'Neill: YOU HAVE TO BE WELL-TRAINED

TO DISREGARD WHAT YOUR BRAIN IS SAYING

AND LOOK AT YOUR INSTRUMENTS, WORK ON YOUR SCAN

AND FLY BY YOUR INSTRUMENTS.

Kennedy: WHAT THE HELL?

Carolyn: JOHN?

JOHN!

Kennedy: JUST WAIT.

COME ON.

LEVEL OFF!

WHAT ARE YOU DOING? CLIMB!

Narrator: ONCE HE BECOMES DISORIENTED,

KENNEDY IS TOO INEXPERIENCED

TO FORCE HIMSELF TO BELIEVE HIS INSTRUMENTS,

NO MATTER WHAT HIS SENSES ARE TELLING HIM.

Kennedy: NOTHING'S WORKING.

Guzzetti: HE MAY NOT EVEN HAVE KNOWN

WHAT TYPE OF UNUSUAL ATTITUDE HE WAS IN

AND THAT HE WAS ABOUT TO HIT THE WATER.

SO IT'S THE ONLY THING THAT FITS.

SPATIAL DISORIENTATION.

YOU'RE REALLY LEFT WITH THE GAPING POSSIBILITY

THAT WAS ALWAYS THERE,

WHICH WAS THE CLASSIC CASE OF SPATIAL DISORIENTATION,

WHICH UNFORTUNATELY HAS KILLED SO MANY PILOTS.

Carolyn: OH, GOD!

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS CONCLUDE THAT KENNEDY'S STRANGE FLIGHT PATH

IS THE RESULT OF HIS CONFUSED EFFORTS TO LEVEL THE PLANE.

Guzzetti: THAT IS ONE SORRY FLIGHT PATH.

TEXTBOOK DISORIENTATION.

Narrator: THE NTSB'S OFFICIAL REPORT

CITES KENNEDY'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE

DURING A DESCENT OVER WATER AT NIGHT.

THE HIGH PROFILE OF THE ACCIDENT BRINGS NEW ATTENTION

TO THE DANGERS OF SPATIAL DISORIENTATION,

ESPECIALLY FOR PILOTS WHO ARE NEW TO INSTRUMENT FLYING.

O'Neill: I ALWAYS TRY TO TEACH STUDENTS,

BE READY TO BUY AN AIRLINE TICKET,

AND THERE WAS NUMEROUS CASES

WHERE MY STUDENTS LEFT THEIR PLANE WHERE IT WAS

AND THEY'D CALL ME AND I'D GO PICK IT UP FOR THEM.

YOU NEED TO ALWAYS HAVE AN OUT,

AND AN AIRLINE TICKET IS YOUR BEST OUT.

Mehren: I DON'T THINK THE PUBLIC WANTED TO ACCEPT

SORT OF PILOT ERROR AS THE-- OR PILOT ARROGANCE,

WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN THE SAME THING IN THIS CASE--

AS THE CAUSE.

LOSING HIM WAS ONE THING,

BUT LOSING HIM ESSENTIALLY TO HIS OWN MISTAKE

MADE IT MUCH WORSE.

Guzzetti: A YOUNG PERSON WITH SUCH PROMISE.

SOME PEOPLE WERE THINKING HE'D HAVE A SHOT

AT BEING A PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.

Kennedy: GOOD MORNING.

Guzzetti: IN THE END, WE LOST A PIECE

OF OUR AMERICAN INNOCENCE.

IT, UH, IT WAS A TRAGEDY.