DADADEL
In 1999, a mysterious flight took place over the United States, leaving onlookers and officials alike in shock. A Learjet 35, designated flight N47BA, flew on a chillingly straight path across the country with no response from anyone onboard. Its eerie, pilotless journey veered north toward Canada, setting off alarms and initiating a high-stakes military interception. What went so tragically wrong on this flight?
Efforts to contact the crew were met with an ominous silence. Fighter jets were swiftly dispatched to intercept the Learjet, and dread spread as all signs pointed to disaster. What no one yet realized was that everyone on board was either unconscious or already dead—a terrifying fate unfolding in the skies.
Flight N47BA was a privately owned Learjet 35, registered under N47BA. On October 25, 1999, it departed from Orlando, Florida. Among the passengers were notable individuals, including golf icon Payne Stewart, former quarterback Robert Fraley, Van Arden (president of Stewart’s agency), and Bruce Borland, a golf course architect.
Accompanying them were two experienced pilots, Michael Kling, and Stephanie Bellegarrigue, tasked with flying this seemingly routine trip to Dallas. But for all six individuals on board, this flight would be anything but ordinary.
Initially, everything seemed normal. The plane ascended smoothly, and the pilot checked in with air traffic control at 23,000 feet to confirm a routine climb. However, this turned out to be the last transmission ever received from N47BA.
Just six minutes later, all radio contact was lost and repeated attempts to reestablish communication failed. This prompted an urgent response from the U.S. Air Force. An F-16 fighter jet was dispatched to assess the Learjet. Colonel Olson, the F-16 pilot, reported that the aircraft appeared undamaged and on course, yet the cockpit windows were fogged, either from ice or condensation, making it impossible to see inside.
With no contact and worsening suspicions, the situation escalated. While authorities denied they’d considered shooting down the plane, Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien later revealed that Canada had authorized lethal force should the plane enter Winnipeg’s airspace.
Running out of fuel after over four hours, the Learjet began a rapid descent. Witnesses described it spiraling uncontrollably toward the ground at supersonic speeds. The jet ultimately crashed into South Dakota’s plains, leaving a massive crater and taking the lives of all onboard.
In the investigation that followed, experts concluded that a cabin depressurization likely led to the tragedy. Although the exact cause of the pressure loss remains unknown, the crew’s inability to reach supplemental oxygen likely led to hypoxia, a condition that deprives the brain of oxygen and causes swift unconsciousness. The autopilot maintained the aircraft’s altitude and course until the fuel finally ran out.
For nearly four hours, the Learjet flew without a single conscious soul. Black box recordings shed no light on the cause of the depressurization, and the mystery remains. Memorials were erected in honor of the lives lost, including a tribute to Payne Stewart, later inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. Yet the exact events aboard flight N47BA may remain unknown forever.
This incident wasn’t isolated. A similar tragedy occurred on December 27, 2021, in East County, San Diego, involving another Learjet 35. According to reports, the jet attempted a complex maneuver at low altitude in poor visibility, ultimately striking power lines before crashing.
The crash claimed the lives of pilots Douglas Grande, 42, and Julian Bugaj, 67, along with nurses Christina Ward, 52, and Laurie Gentz, 68. The NTSB’s report detailed the tragic sequence, underscoring the inherent risks of intricate maneuvers in challenging conditions.
