All language subtitles for Air.Disasters.S08E06.The.Death.of.JFK.Jr.1080p.PMTP.WEB-DL.AAC2.0.H.264-maldini._track4_[eng]

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.