Event Details and Registration

On July 16, 1999, John F Kennedy Jr died when the airplane he was piloting crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. The two passengers on board, Kennedy's wife Carolyn Bessette and her sister Lauren, were also killed. The Piper Saratoga light aircraft had departed from Essex County Airport in Fairfield, New Jersey, and its intended route was along the coastline of Connecticut and across Rhode Island Sound to Martha’s Vineyard Airport.

The official investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) concluded that Kennedy fell victim to Spatial Disorientation while descending at night over water, consequently losing control of the aircraft. Kennedy did not hold an instrument rating and was therefore only certified to fly under Visual Flight rules. However, at the time of the accident the weather and light conditions were such that all basic landmarks were obscured, making visual flight challenging, although legally still permissible.

What if JFK Jr would have evaluated himself preflight with the IMSAFE method?

Join Dave Kramer as he presents the accident analysis video by MzeroA Flight training and then discusses the IMSAFE Method of Preflight Pilot Evaluation.

Dave Kramer MD is an instrument rated, tailwheel endorsed private pilot as well as a basic and instrument ground instructor with an interest in weather. He has been flying since 2012, has over 800 hours of which 300 have been in the IFR system.  He also enjoys flying at night  as well as flying in the LA area.

This event qualifies for FAA Wings credit.

Any questions, contact us at (650) 946-1700 or info@sancarlosflight.com.

San Carlos Flight Center is committed to promoting safety in general aviation through our evening safety seminar programs. Space is often limited so it is important to sign up early through the FAA event notification system at FAASAFETY.GOV. SCFC members may choose to watch the seminar live over the web at home. Contact your SCFC member service rep at (650) 946-1700 to confirm secure online access to any particular seminar.

Directions to Room: Pilots who fly in should park in transient parking on the opposite side of the field and expect to walk about 10 minutes (.5 mile) to the Flight Center. Suite 215 is upstairs in the northwest corner. On occasion, rides may be prearranged through San Carlos Aviation and Supply.

San Carlos Flight Center was voted Best Flight School in the US in the 2013 AOPA Flight Training Excellence Awards. We are committed to promoting safety in general aviation through our evening safety seminar programs. For more information about this and any of our weekly seminars, please visit http://sancarlosflight.com/activities-and-events.