Conspiracy theories and truth: 27 years since John F. Kennedy Jr.'s plane crashed into the Atlantic

Twenty-seven years ago, on July 16, 1999, a tragic plane crash claimed the lives of John F. Kennedy Jr., his wife Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, and her sister Lauren Bessette off the western coast of the United States. The accident deeply affected the family of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy and marked a somber moment in American aviation history.

John F. Kennedy Jr., the son of the assassinated president, was a public figure known for his charisma. Besides being a lawyer, he was an editor, and many anticipated a future for him in politics, following the family's legacy. On the day of the crash, Kennedy Jr., who had pilot training, took off from Caldwell, New Jersey, in a Piper Saratoga aircraft. Despite warnings from the airport controller about adverse weather conditions, he proceeded with the flight.

According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Kennedy Jr. had approximately 310 hours of total flight time, with only about 36 hours in that specific aircraft model. Crucially, very few of those hours were flown at night without an instructor present. The NTSB report later highlighted the dangers of spatial disorientation, a condition exacerbated by the lack of a clear visual horizon due to haze during the flight.

The flight plan was to head towards Martha's Vineyard to drop off Lauren Bessette before continuing to Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, for the wedding of John's cousin, Rory Kennedy. However, around 9:41 p.m., the aircraft plummeted into the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 12 kilometers from its initial destination. The plane was destroyed upon impact, and all three occupants perished instantly. The circumstances of the crash have also fueled conspiracy theories over the years.