Refutation: Kennedy Curse or Poor Judgment?

            The crash involving John F. Kennedy, Jr.’s Piper Saratoga light aircraft did not result from poor weather conditions, but from pilot error.  On July 16, 1999, JFK Jr. crashed his aircraft into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard due to what the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) commented was the “pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane during a descent over water at night, resulting in spatial disorientation.”  Spatial disorientation is the inability to correctly interpret aircraft attitude, altitude, or airspeed in relation to reference point; it results from the pilot’s failure to discern the direction in which he or she is flying his or her aircraft.  At the time of the flight, weather conditions were hazy, decreasing the visibility of the horizon line.  However, most professional pilots are able to proceed with flight plans because they have instrument rating, meaning they are trained to use the instruments within the aircraft to prevent disorientation; as a private pilot, JFK Jr. did not have instrument rating.  In fact, his flying instructor had previously reported that JFK Jr. was not ready for an instrument evaluation and needed additional training.  At the time of the flight, JFK Jr. had also chosen incorrect flying frequencies: for Martha’s Vineyard ATIS, his radio was set to 127.25 when it should’ve been set to 126.25; he also had 132.25 for Essex County ATIS, which should’ve been set to 135.5.  He also chose to take a shorter route to Martha’s Vineyard, flying the aircraft over a 30-mile stretch of water at night with no light to help guide.  Due to his overall lack of pilot experience and indiscretions as a pilot that night, JFK Jr. was in no position to be flying the aircraft at the time of the crash.