The Last Flight

"A technically rich, warmly patriotic account.” - Kirkus Reviews

One of Town & Country’s Best Books of the Fall

On a hazy July night in 1999, John F. Kennedy Jr., his wife Carolyn, and her sister Lauren vanished over the waters off Martha’s Vineyard—triggering a national vigil and one of the most ambitious search operations in American history. For days, the world watched and waited.

But the full story of what happened after the crash has never been told—until now.

In The Last Flight, Captain W. Russell “Russ” Webster, the Coast Guard commander who led the search, and historian Theresa Mitchell Webster, take readers inside the high-stakes, emotionally charged mission to locate the missing aircraft and recover its passengers. Drawing on firsthand accounts, official reports, and newly uncovered insights, this gripping narrative reveals the unprecedented coordination between the Coast Guard, Navy, and NOAA in a race against time, technology, and the unforgiving sea.

Beyond the headlines lies a powerful human story—of exhausted rescuers, clashing agencies, political pressure, and quiet acts of heroism. From sonar operators and Navy divers to commanders navigating impossible decisions, each played a role in what became the largest and most expensive search ever for private citizens in a small airplane.

Blending narrative history with investigative depth, The Last Flight also explores unanswered questions surrounding the crash, offering a compelling new perspective on one of America’s most haunting tragedies.

At once a pulse-pounding account and a deeply moving tribute, this is the definitive story of the mission that forever changed the Coast Guard—and a nation still captivated by the legacy of the Kennedy family.