Coast Guard Commander Chronicles JFK Jr Search Mission in Book

Captain W. Russell "Russ" Webster and maritime historian Theresa Mitchell Webster have documented the Coast Guard-led search for John F. Kennedy Jr., Carolyn Bessette Kennedy and Lauren Bessette after their 1999 plane crash off the Atlantic coast in the book The Last Flight: The Untold Story of the Search for JFK Jr.

According to the authors, the five-day operation became the nation’s largest and most expensive search for private citizens involved in a small aircraft crash, involving 32 local, state and federal agencies.

Russ Webster, the Coast Guard commander who led the mission, said the book focuses on coordination among agencies during the recovery effort.

"What’s unique is that it captures a very focused 5-day mission that was the nation’s largest search for private citizens in a small air crash. And the most expensive," said Captain W. Russell "Russ" Webster.

Webster described the operation as a case where agencies with different responsibilities adapted their procedures during a maritime tragedy.

"There are so many quiet moments of leadership exhibited by different members of the 32 local, state, and federal agency representatives that basically adapted their very, very different protocols for a maritime tragedy," said Captain W. Russell "Russ" Webster.

Theresa Mitchell Webster explained that the crash triggered a national response as the country followed the search for the son of former President John F. Kennedy. She said the book does not focus on the couple’s private lives.

"The Kennedy crash in ’99 happened on the doorstep of the digital age, where news was flung around the world in seconds," said Theresa Mitchell Webster.

She added that the public reaction was shaped by concern over the fate of the passengers and the rescue effort underway.

"The degree of worry about where America’s son was — and we honestly feel that the rescuers felt that if they could not have saved the father, they were going to bring the son home," said Theresa Mitchell Webster.

The authors also examined the flight circumstances using findings from the National Transportation Safety Board. The investigation concluded that spatial disorientation was the cause of the crash.

"The NTSB documented that he had gone to and from Martha’s Vineyard 35 times prior to that. Sometimes with, sometimes without a certified flight instructor," said Captain W. Russell "Russ" Webster.

Webster said the review considered Kennedy’s flight decisions, including the route from Caldwell, New Jersey, to Martha’s Vineyard and conditions after sunset.

"Theresa and I undertook to understand how the crash may have happened. Part of it was the fact that Kennedy had embarked on that same route and not made adjustments for the fact that he left after sunset when he headed out from Caldwell, NJ, over 30 miles of open ocean in a very dark environment," said Captain W. Russell "Russ" Webster.

Webster also discussed the investigation’s findings regarding the pilot’s actions before the crash.

"The NTSB’s final determination — spatial disorientation — was a byproduct of decisions that he made along the way," said Captain W. Russell "Russ" Webster.

The recovery required cooperation among agencies with different technical capabilities, including the Coast Guard, NOAA survey crews and the Navy.

"I’d also highlight that no one agency could have accomplished this mission. The Coast Guard doesn’t operate underwater. The NOAA survey crews deployed to the site do not operate above the waterline.

And the Navy recovered the wreckage and human remains, but did not have the sonar capacity. All worked together well," said Captain W. Russell "Russ" Webster.