On the morning of 25 October 1999, a Learjet 35A (N47BA) lifted off from Orlando International Airport (MCO) bound for Dallas Love Field (DAL). On board were six souls — two pilots and four passengers — including Payne Stewart, one of golf’s most iconic figures.
The flight, operated by Sunjet Aviation of Sanford, Florida, was the first leg of a two-day, five-flight trip. Stewart, 42, was en route to Texas for a meeting about a new golf course for his alma mater, Southern Methodist University, before continuing to Houston for the 1999 PGA Tour Championship.
The jet had been fueled with 5,300 pounds of fuel, enough for a four-hour, forty-five-minute flight.
The Crew and Passengers
At the controls was Captain Michael Kling, a 42-year-old veteran aviator with over 4,200 hours of flight time. A former US Air Force pilot, Kling had flown the KC-135 Stratotanker and E-3 Sentry and was serving as an instructor pilot in the Maine Air National Guard.
His copilot, First Officer Stephanie Bellegarrigue, 27, was a certified flight instructor and commercial pilot rated on both the Learjet and Cessna Citation 500. She had accumulated 1,751 hours, including 251 with Sunjet.
Joining Stewart were his agent, Robert Fraley, a former Alabama quarterback; Van Ardan, president of Leader Enterprises; and golf course architect Bruce Borland.
A Routine Flight…then, Silence.
N47BA departed MCO at 09:19 local time. During its climb, the crew communicated with Jacksonville Center and, at 09:27, acknowledged clearance to FL390 with the call, “three nine zero bravo alpha.”
It was the last transmission ever received.
Controllers attempted to reach the Learjet multiple times. Silence. The aircraft continued to climb.
At 09:54 (now in Central Time zone), an F-16 from Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, was ordered to intercept. The fighter pilot reported the Learjet cruising at 46,400 feet. Both engines were running. Lights were on. The aircraft appeared undamaged. But the cockpit windows were opaque, as if coated with frost or condensation. No movement could be seen inside.
He broke off and returned to base.
Over the next two hours, additional intercepts were ordered. Two F-16s from the Oklahoma Air National Guard (TULSA 13 flight) approached but reported the same: no movement, dark cockpit, no reaction. Later, two F-16s from the North Dakota Air National Guard (NODAK 32 flight) joined, observing the same conditions.
The maximum altitude of the aircraft was 48,900 feet.
Out of Fuel, Out of Time
At 12:10, the Learjet’s cockpit voice recorder (CVR) captured the faint whine of the engines spooling down. Then came the stall warning, followed by the click of the autopilot disconnecting.
Moments later, one of the pursuing pilots reported, “The target is descending and he is doing multiple rolls, looks like he’s out of control.” Another said, “It’s soon to impact the ground; he is in a descending spiral.”
At 12:13 local time, after a flight lasting 3 hours and 54 minutes, the Learjet impacted a field near Mina, South Dakota, leaving a crater 42 feet long, 21 feet wide, and 8 feet deep. The aircraft was destroyed.
It had flown nearly 1,400 miles from Florida to South Dakota, all on autopilot.
A Nation Watches in Disbelief
The unfolding tragedy captured global attention. For hours, radar screens, control towers, and television broadcasts followed the ghost jet as it sliced across the Midwest.
At one point, Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien was informed that the plane might drift into Canadian airspace. In his memoir, he wrote:
“The plane was heading toward the city of Winnipeg, and the air traffic controllers feared that it would crash into the Manitoba capital. I was asked to give permission for the military to bring down the plane if that became necessary. With a heavy heart, I authorized the procedure. Shortly after I made my decision, I learned that the plane had crashed in South Dakota.”
The Pentagon confirmed that American fighters shadowing N47BA were unarmed. A shoot-down was never considered.
The Investigation and NTSB Conclusion
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) launched a major investigation. Its probable cause stated:
“Incapacitation of the flight crewmembers as a result of their failure to receive supplemental oxygen following a loss of cabin pressurization, for undetermined reasons.”
The NTSB found that both pilots’ oxygen mask hoses were connected to their supply lines and that both microphones were plugged in. The oxygen bottle’s regulator and shutoff valve were open, suggesting that oxygen was available.
Yet, for reasons unknown, neither pilot appeared to have donned their mask in time.
A key passage in the report noted:
“A possible explanation for the failure of the pilots to receive emergency oxygen is that their ability to think and act decisively was impaired because of hypoxia before they could don their oxygen masks.”
Because the rate of depressurization could not be determined, the NTSB evaluated both rapid and gradual scenarios.
If the cabin had rapidly depressurized to 30,000 feet, the board cited research showing that as little as 8 seconds without oxygen could significantly impair cognitive function. In such a case, even a brief delay in donning oxygen masks could have been fatal.
If the decompression was gradual, the crew might have missed or misdiagnosed the problem. Testing indicated that a slow leak or closed flow control valve could lead to full depressurization within minutes, during which oxygen deprivation would silently erode judgment and motor control.
The report stated:
“Investigations of other accidents in which flight crews attempted to diagnose a pressurization problem or initiate emergency pressurization instead of immediately donning oxygen masks have revealed that, even with a relatively gradual rate of depressurization, pilots have rapidly lost cognitive or motor abilities to effectively troubleshoot the problem or don their masks shortly thereafter.”
The NTSB concluded:
“In summary, the Safety Board was unable to determine why the flight crew could not, or did not, receive supplemental oxygen in sufficient time and/or adequate concentration to avoid hypoxia and incapacitation.”
NTSB Final Report
Maintenance records revealed multiple entries related to cabin pressurization issues in the months leading up to the crash. The NTSB criticized Sunjet Aviation for poor documentation and for allowing flights with an unauthorized maintenance deferral involving cabin pressure problems.
The Aftermath: Memorials and Lawsuits
One year later, the families of Payne Stewart and Robert Fraley filed suit against Learjet, Sunjet Aviation, and JetShares One Inc., alleging that a cracked adapter had caused a fatal loss of cabin pressure and that the aircraft had been poorly maintained.
The FBI later raided Sunjet’s offices, seizing flight logs during a criminal investigation that ultimately led to the company’s bankruptcy. The lawsuit against Learjet went to trial in 2005, where jurors cleared the manufacturer of liability.
When the PGA Tour Championship began days after the crash, the tournament opened with a lone bagpiper playing at the first tee at Houston’s Champions Golf Club.
The Legacy of Payne Stewart
Born on 30 January 1957 in Springfield, Missouri, Payne Stewart was more than a champion — he was a showman. With his knickers, tam-o’-shanter cap, and brightly colored outfits often matching NFL team colors for the city he was playing in, he stood out in every gallery and on every fairway.
But behind the style was substance. Stewart was a man of faith, a devoted husband to Tracey, and a loving father to their two children.
His biography, released in 2001, painted a portrait of a competitor who brought personality back to golf and grace back to victory. It told the story of a man who lived with joy, played with flair, and believed deeply in family and faith — before his life was cut short at just 42 years old. You can purchase it here via Amazon.
