On July 16, 1999, John F. Kennedy Jr. died when the light aircraft he was piloting crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts.

[5][6] The official investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) concluded that Kennedy fell victim to spatial disorientation while descending over water at night and lost control of his plane.

At the time of Kennedy's death, the weather and light conditions were such that all basic landmarks were obscured, making visual flight challenging, although legally still permissible.

At 8:38 p.m. on Friday, July 16, 1999, Kennedy departed from New Jersey's Essex County Airport, 21 miles (34 km) west of Midtown Manhattan.

[10] At 2:15 a.m. on July 17, the Kennedy family reported to the Coast Guard Air Station at Cape Cod that the plane had not arrived.

[13] Clinton said that the Kennedys had "suffered much, and given more", and he called for them to feel "the strength of God, the love of their friends and the prayers of their fellow citizens".

[15] Navy divers found parts of the plane strewn over a broad area of seabed 120 feet (37 m) below the surface,[16] approximately 7.5 miles (12.1 km) west of Martha's Vineyard.

[19] The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) officially declared that Kennedy's plane had crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Martha's Vineyard.

The probable cause of the crash was "the pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during a descent over water at night, which was a result of spatial disorientation".

Haze and visibility Atmospheric conditions along Kennedy's flight path on the night of the crash were occasionally hazy, which can lead to spatial disorientation for pilots.

Some pilots flying similar routes as Kennedy on the night of the accident reported no visual horizon over water because of haze.

He stated that Kennedy had the capability to conduct a night flight to Martha's Vineyard as long as a visible horizon existed.

[24] According to the Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM): "stress from everyday living can impair pilot performance, often in subtle ways.

From 8:49 p.m., about ten minutes after departure, and for a five-minute period lasting until 8:54 p.m., Kennedy's plane flew in the same vicinity as American Airlines Flight 1484, a Fokker 100, which was on approach to Westchester County Airport (HPN).

However, the interaction ended with American Airlines Flight 1484 reporting to ATC that they believed the other plane was a Piper and that the TCAS warning was resolved.

[26] Shortly after passing Point Judith, Rhode Island, Kennedy's plane headed directly towards Martha's Vineyard.

Instead of following the coastline of Rhode Island Sound and Buzzards Bay, which would have provided visible lights on the ground, Kennedy chose the shorter, direct path over a 30-mile (50 km) open stretch of water.

[29] During his interviews, Kennedy's orthopaedic surgeon stated that, at the time of the crash, he would have been able to apply the type of pressure that would normally be required to drive a car.

[32]Ted Kennedy also used the term that had been said about his brother's presidency, saying that "for a thousand days, he was a husband who adored the wife who became his perfect soulmate."

Kennedy's last will and testament, signed 18 months before his death, stipulated that all of his personal belongings, property, and holdings were to be "evenly distributed" among his two nieces, Rose and Tatiana, and nephew, Jack, who were among 14 beneficiaries in the will.