KENNEDY PLANE CRASHES

July 19, 1999
		A panel of historians and others reflect on the presumed death of Mr. Kennedy and its impact on the Kennedy family and the nation. -- Posted 12:40pm ET

Jan. 1, 1998: The NewsHour historians look at the Kennedy family in the wake of Michael Kennedy's death   Senator Edward Kennedy's homepage Federal Aviation Administration

Coast Guard officials searching for a small plane carrying John F. Kennedy, Jr., his wife and her sister have announced all three are now presumed dead. They have begun a recovery operation to locate the wreckage and bodies. The plane, piloted by Kennedy, apparently crashed into the waters just off the coast of Martha's Vineyard late Friday night. On board were Kennedy; Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, his wife; and Lauren Bessette, Carolyn's older sister. President Clinton, speaking this morning at a ceremony honoring the Women's World Cup team, reflected on Mr. Kennedy's and the entire family's contribution to America. "It is at times like this that we really stop to recognize that, as big and diverse as our country is, we can come together as a national family," Clinton told a crowd gathered on the South Lawn of the White House. "We can come together in sorrow or in joy if it reflects the values that we honor most." The Coast Guard announced it was shifting from a search and rescue mission to the recovery of the wreckage and bodies late Sunday after two days of continuous efforts to locate survivors. The official in charge of the search, Coast Guard Rear Adm. Richard M. Larrabee, said that the odds of finding any survivors after 48 hours in the 68-degree water were remote. He spoke with both the Kennedy and Bessette families before publicly addressing the issue. "I have spent some very painful moments with the families tonight," Rear Adm. Larrabee told reporters last night. "I think they understand. They have been very appreciative of what we have been trying to do." During the operation, searchers say they did not locate any major wreckage from the plane or "any indication of survivors." On Saturday, debris that had been located included part of the landing gear, a prescription bottle for Carolyn Bessette Kennedy and a black suitcase apparently belonging to Lauren Bessette. The operation to locate the plane has focused on an area 12-17 miles southwest of Martha's Vineyard. Searchers also scoured the beaches of the island nearest the possible crash for debris. John F. Kennedy Jr., 38, had been flying his six-seat Piper Saratoga-style aircraft to Hyannisport, MA to attend the wedding of his cousin, Rory Kennedy, the youngest daughter of former Senator Robert Kennedy. The plane left Essex County Airport in Fairfield, NJ at approximately 8:30pm Friday evening The Federal Aviation Administration reports that there were no flight restrictions that night that might have stopped Mr. Kennedy, who received his pilot's license a year ago, from flying. The three planned to fly first to Martha's Vineyard to drop off Ms. Bessette, a 34-year old investment banker for Morgan Stanley in New York. They then planned to continue on the additional 25 miles to Hyannisport. The FAA said the last contact with the plane was at 9:38pm as the plane approached the island from the Southwest. Mr. Kennedy, the only surviving son of the 35th president of the United States, is often remembered for when, as a three-year-old, he saluted the coffin of his fallen father. John F. Kennedy Jr. served as an Assistant District Attorney. Later he founded and edited George, a magazine that works to make the political process more accessible.