Leaps of Faith: J. F. Kennedy jr's fall

Fatal Falls: J. F. KENNEDY JR.
All men can fly, but sadly, only in one direction.

John F. Kennedy Jr. crashed his plane into the sea near Martha’s Vineyard on July 16, 1999, killing himself and two passengers.

Since Leonardo, humans seem to possess an innate love of flying.

Read the text.  

Ponder on this story, discuss the errors, wrongdoings, mistakes or miscalculations that might have taken place in that particular date 7/16/99.

REPORT:

Condensed from the National Transportation and Safety Board Preliminary Report NYC99MA178.

On July 16, 1999, a Piper was destroyed during a collision with water near Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. The pilot and two passengers were fatally injured. Night visual conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the personal flight.

A person using the pilot’s log-in code obtained aviation weather information from an Internet site three hours before the crash. The forecast called for winds at ten knots, visibility six miles, and clear sky. No AIRMETS or SIGMETS were issued for the route of flight, and all airports along the route reported visual meteorological conditions.

The pilot received his private pilot certificate in April 1998. He did not possess an instrument rating. Interviews and training records revealed that the pilot had accumulated about three hundred hours of total flight experience, not including recent experience gained in the accident airplane.

On July 20, 1999, the airplane was located in 116 feet of water. Preliminary examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of in-flight structural failure or fire, nor of conditions that would have prevented either the engine or propeller from operating. Pilots who flew over Long Island Sound that evening were inter- viewed after the accident. They reported that the in-flight visibility over the water was significantly reduced.

USE some of these adjectives

    flighty /ˈflaɪtɪ/adj    frivolous and irresponsible; capricious; volatile

    good-for-nothingn  an irresponsible or worthless person

adj   irresponsible; worthlessmad /mæd/adj    : a mad, senseless, foolish ideastupid /ˈstjuːpɪd/adj  lacking in common sense, perception, or normal intelligence //  slow-witted

USE These 4 characters to discuss the issue. 

TREVORG
I investigated aviation accidents for the military, and this case hardly needs investigating. The answer is obvi ous. He flew right off the page that details “predictable ways for stupid pilots to die.” To commit such a grievous error in the face of such a mountain of information makes him a clear case of someones risking three lives to the outmost, and he lost. 

SIDECAR
Those with flying experience know that the pilot is master of his own destiny. When he warms up his plane and taxis to the edge of the runway, the control tower gives him information including wind speed and direction. When it is clear for him to take off, the tower uses the fol- lowing words: “You are cleared to take off at your discretion.” The words at your discretion absolve the tower of responsibility for the pilot or aircraft. All contact with air control agencies is for information only. It’s up to you to act on this information responsibly. 

A VOICE IN THE WILDERNESS
The evidence is against the defense of JFK Jr. “Pilots with years of experience have been known to crash on nights exactly like this one.” That is exactly why he should not have flown the aircraft.

CHARRELL6170After due consideration I have to state the following:
Here is a man who held his private pilot’s license for only fourteen months, and was not cleared for instrument flight. Nevertheless, he was flying at night in a high performance aircraft with which he was unfamiliar. He flew with no flight plan, not illegal but ill advised, under reduced-visibility conditions. 

          PRELIMINARY DISCUSSION

UK YANK

Let me put this in context for you nonpilots.

 It’s the night before your relative gets married and you need to get to the wedding. 

Your only vehicle is a blindingly fast Porsche 911 Turbo, 

an accident waiting to happen in the hands of a new driver such as yourself. 

You have no snow chains, a foot that’s not fully healed, and it’s getting dark. 

Your driving buddies tell you thick fog is expected, and enough snow to hide the road. 

They wouldn’t dream of going out on a night like this. 

What do you do?

1.  Hire a qualified racing driver to drive your Porsche. 
2.  Wait for morning and better driving conditions. 
3.  Jump in the Porsche and hope for the best.

When you know the odds are against you, yet still risk your life, you’re not drinking from the fountain of wisdom—you’re just gargling.

sources  darwinawardsevolutioninaction. Chapter 5