Feds release audio clip about John F. Kennedy Jr.'s missing plane after FOI request

BOSTON (AP) _ Almost eight years after John F. Kennedy Jr. died in a plane crash off the coast of Martha's Vineyard, federal officials on Tuesday released an audio clip of an airport intern and a Federal

Tuesday, February 6th 2007, 9:42 pm

By: News On 6


BOSTON (AP) _ Almost eight years after John F. Kennedy Jr. died in a plane crash off the coast of Martha's Vineyard, federal officials on Tuesday released an audio clip of an airport intern and a Federal Aviation Administration dispatcher discussing the missing plane.

A transcript of the conversation between Adam Budd, a 21-year-old college student employed at the Martha's Vineyard Airport, and the call center at the FAA's Automated Flight Service Station in Bridgeport, Conn., was made public four days after the July 16, 1999, crash.

The audio clip released Tuesday by the Department of Transportation was the result of a federal Freedom of Information Act request filed by broadcasters after the crash. A portion of it was aired on Boston's WFXT-TV.

Budd, who generally performed clerical tasks, is heard speaking in a hushed tone, his voice slightly quaking as he asks whether the FAA can track Kennedy's plane.

``Well, who are you?'' an unidentified FAA dispatcher asks.

``I'm with airport operations,'' Budd says, failing to identify which airport until the dispatcher asks.

Budd then says: ``Actually, Kennedy Jr.'s on board. He's uh, they want to know, uh, where he is.''

When the operator told Budd he wouldn't give the information over the phone, Budd backed off.

``OK, well, if it's too much trouble, it's ... I'll just have 'em wait. ... It's not a big deal,'' he says, according to the transcript.

Budd's call came in at 10:05 p.m., four hours before a search and rescue mission was assembled after a family friend called the Coast Guard.

Kennedy, the 38-year-old son and namesake of America's 35th president, was flying with his wife, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, 33, and his sister-in-law, Lauren Bessette, 34, when his six-seat, single-engine Piper Saratoga crashed seven miles south of his Martha's Vineyard home. All three were killed.

A report by the National Transportation Safety Board blamed pilot error for the crash, saying Kennedy, who had been flying for 15 months, was not skilled enough for low-visibility nighttime flying and became disoriented in the hazy sky.
logo

Get The Daily Update!

Be among the first to get breaking news, weather, and general news updates from News on 6 delivered right to your inbox!

More Like This

February 6th, 2007

March 14th, 2024

December 4th, 2023

September 25th, 2023

Top Headlines

March 28th, 2024

March 28th, 2024

March 28th, 2024

March 28th, 2024