John F. Kennedy Jr. dies in a plane crash. He was piloting a Piper Saratoga when it crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Martha's Vineyard. His wife, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, and her sister, Lauren Bessette, were also on board and perished in the accident. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined the probable cause was the pilot's failure to maintain control of the aircraft during a descent over water, citing spatial disorientation, as a contributing factor during haze and dark conditions. JFK Jr. was certified to fly under visual flight rules (VFR) and was not instrument rated.
