In 1999, a plane in the United States took a strange route. It had climbed to its designated altitude as usual, but instead of heading to Dallas, it began flying directly over the US towards Canada. No contact was made with the crew, and military jets scrambled to thwart the stealth flight, fearing the worst. What no one knew at the time was that everyone on board was either unconscious or dead.
A Learjet 35, registered as N47BA, was a private jet carrying some very important people. Passengers departing Orlando, Florida on October 25, 1999, included PGA legend Payne Stewart, former American football quarterback Robert Fraley, president of Stewart’s golf agency Van Arden, and a golf course designer from the Jack Nicklaus Company. The two pilots, Michael Kling and Stephanie Bellegarrigue, were also on board for a routine trip to Dallas, Texas. There were six people in total on the small plane, prepared for an easy three-hour journey.
They took off as usual and began climbing 11,900 meters above the pre-approved sea level. At 7,000m, radio contact was confirmed by the pilot stating that everything was normal, and this was the last information from the Learjet 35.
Disconnecting from Learjet 35
An attempt was made to reconnect with the aircraft six minutes later, but there was no response. Many successive attempts over the next few minutes caused alarm, and it was decided that the time had come for the Air Force to get involved.
Luckily, an F-16 in the area set out to intercept the plane to conduct a visual inspection. Colonel Olson concluded that the aircraft had no visible damage and was flying on a straight course, but was unable to see inside the cockpit to identify the crew. The windows were opaque as if they were covered with condensation or ice.
A view from the inspection after the N47BA crash.Then there were two more attempts and concerns increased. While there was speculation that the Pentagon was considering shooting down the plane if it lands in a crowded area, these speculations were denied and such an option was never considered.
However, Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien later admitted in his memoirs that if the Learjet 35 were to enter Canadian airspace, it was allowed to be shot down for fear that it might crash over the city of Winnipeg.
Carrying only four and a half hours of fuel, the aircraft ran out of fuel in a short time and descended in a spiral. Eyewitnesses stated that the plane went completely out of control and was heading towards the ground at almost supersonic speeds. The plane crashed on flat ground in South Dakota, the impact of the impact destroyed the entire plane, leaving a large crater.
What happened on the plane?
What happened to the crew in this whole incident was one of the biggest questions. It was determined that the cabin pressure dropped shortly after the last contact. It is unclear why or how quickly this pressure drop occurred, but the crew were unable to get enough supplemental oxygen to prevent them from losing consciousness due to hypoxia.
After unconsciousness caused by a gradual or sudden drop in pressure, the autopilot maintained altitude and a straight course until the fuel ran out. The plane flew for almost four hours with no one behind the wheel.
The cause of the pressure drop is still unknown today, but black box records show that no one was awake during the last minutes of the flight. It is therefore thought that all crew members were unconscious or deceased shortly after their last contact.
Now at the scene of the accident stands a monument dedicated to the victims of the tragic accident. Stewart was later inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame and commemorations were held for the plane’s famous crew.
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