I had knee surgery scheduled that day. As it turned out, the guy who was doing the surgery was a huge golf fan and a Payne Stewart fan (as was I). When I told him that Payne was on a ghost plane and almost certainly dead, the doctor looked truly shocked and affected. I remember thinking, great, now this guy has to cut me open while distracted and upset. Seems like it happened only a year ago.

The man who owned the land that it crashed on creating a beautiful memorial for them is so wholesome.

An old pilot friend told me that the only thing sure about flying is that you will be coming back down, and how well you do that is all that matters about flying.

It must have been gut wrenching for those pilots flying 'escort', being unable to do anything to help those onboard.

Tuesday wouldn't be complete without some Fascinating Horror.

This is similar to Helios Airways flight 522, but on a much smaller scale. 121 people died after losing cabin pressure. Airforce jets watched as it crashed into a mountain in Greece. Perhaps even worse, minutes before the crash one person was observed attempting to regain control of the jet. IIRC it was a steward that had an air canister.

It is very sad that those on board passed away but at least they did so painlessly and early, being spared the terror of running out of fuel and spiraling to the ground without any way to change the outcome. It's nice that the farmer placed a memorial at the crash site, that is very respectable. And glad no one on the ground got hurt. But the loss of not only the golfers but also the pilots, with a long career still ahead of them, is devastating.

Well, without oxygen you basically just fall asleep...no fear, no panic, no time to regret life decisions, worry about loved ones, no pain, no traumatizing scenes to witness in the last minutes before you die - I'ld say thats probably the least "horror" possible in a deadly plane crash

That farmer did more for the victims and their families than any corporation featured on this channel ever has

As an anecdote, I was the captain of a scheduled flight from Madison, WI to Denver, CO on the day of the accident. We were held, without explanation, by ATC with a departure delay in Madison. This is not uncommon if destination weather is poor and metering delays are in effect but puzzling to us since the weather along the entire route was severe clear. It wasn’t known until we arrived in Denver that the airspace had been cleared for the “ghost plane”.

This is both surreal and tragic. I can't imagine a jet flying by itself with dead occupants for over a thousand miles and just having to watch it go down. Sounds like a Bradbury or King horror novella

This one is just so eerie. The fact that the plane continued traveling long after everyone on board was dead... it's like something out of a Ray Bradbury story. I've never heard of a "ghost plane" before, but the term seems apt; the scenario does make one think of the Mary Celeste. Other factors too add to the unlikelihood: the fact that an F16 pilot was nearby, the fact the plane traveled to an ideal, safe crash site, the length of time it flew on auto. It's all just too bizarre, but it really happened.

As a Learjet pilot myself, one of the first things I learned during the portion of my type school covering the ECS system was the lessons learned from this crash. Learjets built after this crash have been fitted with a cabin altitude warning system which will give you warnings as the pressurization drops beyond safe levels. While it won’t help you much in the event of a rapid decompression (what happened here), it will give you a warning in the event it begins to leak progressively so you have time to don the masks and begin an emergency descent. Another Learjet decompression incident you can look up that is very interesting is Kalitta Air Flight 66. Fortunately, thanks to the confused and hypoxic pilot speaking up, as well as the controllers on frequency who recognized something was wrong, disaster was avoided. If you listen to the ATC recording, you can tell the pilot sounds almost drunk as he calls the controllers, but becomes instantly aware as soon as he reaches a safe altitude. Very eye opening as to the affects hypoxia has on your body. Anyhow, great video once again, look forward to the next one!

The theory that makes most sense to me is the one involving the Learjet handbook. When the cabin alt warning sounded, the pilots would get the handbook which basically told the pilots what could be causing the problem and to attempt a fix. If that doesn't work THEN put on your oxygen mask. The first thing you need to do in a decompression event is to put on your oxygen mask. The fact the handbook didn't tell the pilots that first likely wasted enough time for oxygen deprivation to render them unconscious.

The Canadian prime Minister had been advised that the jet could potentially crash in the major Canadian city of Winnipeg. He authorized the plane to be shot down ONLY if the city was in danger. He was not an insensitive man and only had the people of Winnipeg in mind. He knew Mr. Stewart and liked him. It was not an easy decision for the prime Minister to make which he revealed in his book. This should have been expanded upon in this video. As is it makes the prime minister appear cold and unfeeling, which upon further investigation he absolutely was not.

I mean this as respectfully as possible when I say: as tragic as the crash was, it is poetic that the crash occurred in a remote field belonging to a golfing enthusiast. Little property was damaged and no one outside of the plane was hurt, which is about as well as fatal plane crash can go, it seems. I'm glad Mr. Hoffman was kind enough and generous enough to allow the use of his field to memorialize those who lost their lives in the crash. I'm certain he was affected by the loss as well. May all who perished in the crash R.I.P. (PS - I just want to apologize if my comment comes off as insensitive. Death is a tricky topic to discuss so I deeply regret if that's how my comment sounds)

It’s terrifying just how many things need to go right for a flight to be successful. Makes it all the more impressive that so many flights go just fine all the time.

1K views in 10 minutes?! Wow! I’m so glad to see this channel doing well. Seriously, some of the best content on YT.

Major props to the landowner for putting together that memorial. I’m sure for the friends and family it gave much-needed peace.

I remember seeing Payne Stewart on an episode of "Home Improvement" on 1998, tragically this was the last time I saw him on TV. It was Modern Marvels: Engineering disasters 8 where I learned about the cause of the accident, no doubt a tragedy for those on board, and for professional golf.

It's nice to see Fascinating Horror covering aviation disasters.

Payne Stewart was a gentleman and a huge loss to the golfing community even here in the UK.

As someone that watches a lot of episodes of "Air Disasters," including this one, it's amazing that a lot of these crashes end up away from heavily populated areas, thinking of the cities this plane passed over as the fuel was consumed. RIP to all onboard.

I am glad to see one of these with a more heartwarming ending, even if under such tragic circumstances.

Reminds me of the Helios ghost plane incident. Don't know if similar systems exist in a Learjet but there maintenance had switched cabin pressurization from auto to manual to do work but neglected to switch it back. Pilots failed to notice the switch and took off. All but a flight attendant died from hypoxia and he died when the plane crashed near Athens.

There was a similar air crash in Australia in 2000. A Beechcraft King Air flying from Perth to Leonora, the crew and passengers overcome with hypoxia.

Riker: "He died peacefully in his sleep." Worf: "What a terrible way to die."

I remember when this happened. Everyone was so freaked out and worried about where it would eventually crash. It was a horrific event any way you look at it. 😳

I remember talk of the passengers and crew possibly freezing after or while dying of hypoxia. I was a real fan of Payne and his death left a huge hole in the PGA. I think he would've given Woods a run for the money in the 00's.

I was a crew member on the University of North Dakota's Cessna Citation II weather research aircraft from 1984 to 1993. I was the instrument engineer and experienced the very thing that killed the crew on Payne Stewart's plane. Our crew probably survived because of my realization that I was experiencing hypoxia. I participated in the altitude chamber training at Ellsworth AFB a few years prior. Our plane had a notorious cabin pressure leak at high altitude. We had an SF6 detection instrument on board, which was VERY sensitive to cabin pressure changes. We were flying at near the aircraft's service ceiling and this instrument started drifting badly. I asked the pilot to stabilize the cabin pressure so I could get accurate readings. It was no use, the cabin pressure kept decreasing. We had a sensor in the electronics that would disconnect power from the research equipment when cabin pressure hit 17,000 feet, or something like that. I knew we were going to lose power soon, so I started taking notes on what was going on. Suddenly I forgot how to write. It was then that I remembered being unable to write was a symptom of O2 depravation. I immediately yelled to the pilot, "Roger, drop the masks now!!" He did and we all survived to tell the story, although I was the only one that ever did. The call sign of our jet was 77ND and is currently in a KS boneyard. It crashed in AK due to ice ingestion during a Sikorsky helicopter icing certification experiment. That crew survived with no injuries. If you'd like to see photos of that unintended landing, let me know. I hope you enjoyed this little narrative. I enjoy sharing it.

My late father was obsessed with golf. When we were young, my brother and I used to go with him and explore while he golfed. When I got older, I went golfing with my dad a couple times, but I was not very good. I do remember Payne Stewart (and unfortunately this incident), though, and thought his style was cool because it was unlike the rest of the golfers. I am aware that no one really cares about my story because it adds nothing, but I have had a lot of caffeine, and I am at work.

I saw this story on Air Crash Investigation. Fascinating and tragic in equal measure. You did a fantastic job as usual covering this. Nicely done. I really enjoyed it.

For all those interested I have met in person one of the investigators. He believes that they went fishing not too long before the flight. They packed the fish on dry ice in boxes and later onto the airplane. As a Lear pilot myself, it is believed during the bleed air check on the before takeoff checklist, the bleeds were never set back to the on position. These switches are behind the yoke on the co pilots side, not visible to the captain unlesss the yoke is pulled full aft and the captain tilts his head to see it. Leaving those switches off would result in no cabin pressurization and the CO2 rapidly filling the cabin causing unconsciousness. If it was a mere cabin pressurization failure, there is several different warnings during the failure the pilot would receive during the cabin altitude climb called a pressure “ladder” resulting in the outflow valves closing and o2 masks dropping etc… But since this was lower altitude than the safeties put in place, they were asleep before that happened due to the rapid influx of the sublimating dry ice. There has been multiple cases of dry ice incapacitating people on aircraft, including some on the ground even before takeoff. Pilots need to be more aware of the dangers of dry ice in an enclosed space such as a cabin. What we are trained is that there are multiple safeguards in place to prevent us from becoming incapacitated, but those are ineffective against the cabin filling with a non breathable gas when the aircraft safeties just measures pressure altitude. I have had at least one occasion where the co pilot forgot to turn the bleeds on to pressurize the cabin which I caught under normal circumstances. The reason the dry ice isn’t mentioned in the accident report was because they didn’t have any evidence to support that theory so it was left out. However the possibility of it happening has been mentioned in pilot training, because people who know the systems always wonder how all the signs were missed. The Lear gives you multiple chances to save yourself during a depressurization event. So really that is one of the only rational explanations.

The checklist for the warning didn’t have oxygen masks as the first step, and so even if they did as they were trained, with only seconds to act they couldn’t have done anything before hypoxia set in. The cause of pressure loss couldn’t be determined, but checklists and what to do in cases of pressure loss were improved upon. A truly tragic yet fascinating case.

Since the low pressure warning system was working, so the pilots would’ve had a (possibly very) short window where they could’ve taken corrective action. Seems like this is something an Air Force and high hour commercial jet pilot should’ve been trained on. There had to be multiple things that went wrong that day.

Totally gonna save this for the morning while I’m waiting at the airport.

As a Texan, and daughter of an avid golfer, this event came as a tremendous shock. The location of the crash is about as perfect as could be hoped for and the fact all aboard were already deceased made the news easier to bear. Thanks, as always, for your respectful treatment of this unfortunate incident.

The bronze statue of Payne Stewart at 8:20 is at the Waterville Golf Links in County Kerry, Ireland. Payne played there frequently and had just accepted the Captaincy of the golf club shortly before his death. It’s a wonderful golf course.

What I like about this channel is that it doesn’t revel in the morbid parts. It pays respect to the victims and focus mostly on them and sympathize, rather than sensationalize gore and death.

As someone else already said this is similar to the Helios disaster where the cabin failed to pressurise, with similar results on a larger scale. Very eerie.

Tuesday morning would not be the same without Fascinating Horror. I'd never heard of this tragedy. What is most sad is how it will never be determined

I’ll never forget this one .. MBA classmates and I were in a finance class at University of Florida in Gainesville, FL, when we learned of the possible ‘ghost plane’ carrying Payne Stewart … it had essentially flown directly over us in Gainesville as it departed Orlando, possibly having stolen those souls as it was flying directly above us. In ‘99 we had our laptops & the internet in the classroom (yes, yes - it wasn’t necessarily a given yet that we would have internet service in all classrooms but we did have laptops for class) so we learned about it live. Very chilling feeling. I think the carrier was Sunjet … and the cause was possibly a maintenance guy shutting off something to do with the pressurization so that the pilots were not aware, I think… I’ll have to look again. RIP to those lovely souls.

The problem with Hypoxia is that it can make you feel euphoric and think that nothing is wrong then you just fall asleep. I don't believe it was an explosive decompression, had it been, the most likely first action would have been to put on oxygen masks. A slow decompression over time would not be noticed until an alarm sounds. Wether it was a leak or the pilots (like in the 522 crash) didn't turn on the pressurizing switch the outcome was the same. Hypoxia is something taught to all student pilots while getting their private pilot license.

Well done and as always, extremely respectful. Thank you for bringing such tragedies the recognition and compassion they deserve.

What a beautiful letter from the family to the land owner who created a memorial. People who conduct themselves with ultimate class in the aftermath of tragedy are heroic in my eyes.

Perfect time in Australia....not too late, hence not as scary, yet completely fascinating. Cheers

Payne Stewart is actually who my dad named me after (my middle name is Payne). Stewart was his favorite golfer and my dad wanted to honor him. Super cool seeing a video about it, as sad as it may be.

Payne was the reason I started watching golf. How awfully tragic this was.

Oh I remember seeing the air crash investigation episode on this. Turns out putting the Oxygen masks on first is the most important thing. It changed a lot about how the lists where created Hypoxia is at least quick and somewhat peaceful. As a way of death.

I'm very grateful I can assume none of them knew what was happening. The alternative is simply unimaginable. Thank you, Fascinating.

🤔 The first clue of what happened was what the fighter jet pilot saw, a frosted window in the cockpit, I suspect the sudden loss of cabin pressure happened in the cockpit, the pilots likely had no time to react and were rendered unconscious in seconds, and likely the rest of those on board. That’s really terrifying.

The 1955 24 Hours of LeMans disaster is totally deserving of your attention. One car, a Mercedes-Benz 300SLR driven by Pierre Levegh managed to kill over 80 people. It's the worst motorsports accident in history.

I remember hearing about the infamous 1959 plane crash with Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper (J.P. Richardson). They just wanted to finish up their tour, their tour bus had broken down and had no heat, and Ritchie Valens was fighting off a bad cold.

The fact that they were able to determine the loss of cabin pressure in the cockpit based on the frosted windows is quite interesting; a quick and brilliant deduction. I got chills when he mentioned that the plane had lost cabin pressure and everyone would have been rendered unconscious in a matter of minutes. The concept of a ghost plane is just terrifying. The fact that they likely all died from oxygen deprivation long before the crash is relieving. It is a much more humane way to go than a horrible death by plane crash. Still, it is so bizarre to think that the plane just maintained a path for so long with no living person on board. I wonder if there was an acute moment of awareness about what was going on before they passed out or if they just simply, peacefully feel asleep. While the circumstances are quite different, the description of the plane smashing into the ground with such force that much of it was lodged into the ground reminds me of the SilkAir Flight 185 disaster. Plane crashes are truly nightmare scenarios. I'm glad no one on the ground was injured. Rest in peace to all of those aboard.

I'm from South Dakota and my parents were big fans of Payne Stewart. My grandparents lived somewhat near the crash. I was only 12 when this happened but I remember what an impact it had on many people. Thank you for sharing!

This is why I am so intrigued by true horror stories: I always seem to find something I never even considered to be possible. Not that I though it was impossible. I just literally never considered it. It's like, the disaster at Lake Nyos in Cameroon or the Tunguska Event, and now the concept of a ghost plane. Reality can really do a lot to fuel one's imagination.

I was home on maternity leave when this was breaking news. I followed the reports as they came out. My husband really liked Payne Stewart especially since he was known for being a real gentleman, on the course and off. He heard about it on the car radio coming home from work. The video on the evening news was awful. The only good thing people could say about that flight was that all aboard very likely died of hypoxia long before the crash, never going through the terror of knowing that they were going to die horrifically. Unfortunately for the families, all they could do was wait for the plane to literally fall out of the sky.

I remember watching an episode of Air Crash Investigation, in which they were talking about this very same crash. Just as bizarre as it was tragic, if you ask me.

The ghost plane. Crazy how altitude can incapacitate people so quickly. It's also curious that the pilots didn't use their oxygen masks...perhaps they weren't working? Glad nobody on the ground was hurt!

So well done. Respectful. Facts. 100% Prayers to those who lost their lives, and to the family who've had to endure this pain.🙏

I remember this clearly, it was all over the news here in Europe, even while the plane was still in the air. And despite not being a golf fan, even I knew Payne Stewart. While I would not wish such a fate on any1, it just somehow seemed to hit extra hard, that it would happen to such a brilliant personality, who even through the tv screen spread life and cheer.

Id totally forgotten about this event, it was a massive story at the time.

I remember when this happened. Thankfully they did not suffer and no one on the ground were in the jet's path. I also remember the military pilots were ready to force the jet down to avoid it hitting any populated areas.

While visiting PHX,AZ in '99,we attended the Phoenix open. The 16th hole is a madhouse! The entire crowd sang "Happy Birthday" to Payne Stewart as he approached the tee. The good will & positive vibes and energy were palpable. I feel truly blessed to have been present at that wonderful moment. SMH. RIP!

Another excellent video from FH. Thank you sir for your time and consideration in your handling of sensitive matters. Blessings to you and your followers 💚

I can well remember following this developing tragedy on ESPN Radio while at the office; as the narrator said, it took time before they knew for sure that Payne Stewart was on board. A great loss for all of their families.

I got lost in the woods at my teacher's farm that day. I remember my parents telling me about it when they were driving me home after our class returned to school. Payne Stewart was one of my favourite golfers; it was such a tragedy.

This channel makes Tuesdays happy.

You missed a very important part of the investigation. It wasn't just bad luck, but rather poor structuring of the procedures in the flight manual. For a sudden loss of pressure, the first step on their checklist wasn't dawning their oxygen masks, which is what fucked them up. This eventually got changed afterwards as a result of the incident, if I'm not mistaken.

Interestingly, I worked on the team at Garmin that designed a system to prevent these kinds of tragedies. This case is often cited at the reason for Garmin's invention, called "Emergency Autoland". I know you like to cover how these tragedies impact new laws and regulations and thought that was maybe an interesting tidbit you might not know about. Emergency autoland is designed to recognize when a pilot has become incapacitated (through hypoxia or anything else) and will take over control of the aircraft and land it at the nearest suitable airport. It's seriously cool, and directly influenced by this tragedy.

Every one of your episodes is stellar. I really enjoy your channel. Such a sad loss for all the families and friends. I hope they are all resting in peace and that the families have found peace as well.

I appreciate that, while a big talking part of this crash is who was on the plane, the title of the video is specifically about the incident as opposed to using someone's name to get more clicks.

4:47 That's Jean Chrétien, the prime minister of Canada in 1999. Michael Ignatieff was the leader of the opposition.

If you want another fantastic Ghost Plane story, check out Helios Airways, Flight 522. One of my favorites.

Payne Stewart was such a memorable character. I remember seeing this on the news when it happened.

I remember this story vaguely. My dad heavily followed golf at that time and LOVED Payne Stewart.

I always look forward to your videos. I had just learned about rapid depressurization causing condensation earlier today, so it immediately came to mind when fog was mentioned. I hope it was quick and peaceful for them.

Your videos are just superb, man. Never stop!

Another great video. Thank you! I appreciate the way his colleagues honoured the late golfer in the following tournament

Remember that very well. The plane flew right over my grandmother's town in northwest Iowa. We went to see the memorial years later in South Dakota. Payne was a great guy and golfer. Thankfully they passed away before hitting the ground. Rest in peace all on board.

I live about 3 hours from the crash site. I never heard about this before. I was a child when it happened.

What a tragic incident; between this and the Helios crash, I've always wondered if it was possible to have some sort of mid-air rescue system, basically a plane like a Hercules or other transport/tactical airplane capable of intercepting the ghost / incapacitated crew plane and physically taking it over with some kind of grappling system, either to deliver an emergency crew inside or to guide it to a controlled unpowered landing. A few aircraft stationed at key points, like Search and Rescue are now, could do this and they'd be good military / emergency exercices to perform. At the very least, even if the crew was beyond saving, they could've been given a respectful burial and the cause of the accident could've been determined more readily. The people on the Helios flight might even have been saved by such a system.

He was a self-admitted jerk early on in his career, but became a great man as his heart warmed as an adult. That's been his effect on me; change is difficult but 100% worthwhile. Thx Payne. The world misses you.

this happens so many times, they need to have an extra loud voice alarm to warn the pilots and stewerdesses about low oxegon, so they can put the gas mask on right away. There was an alarm on the recorder but the pilots probably didnt know what it was and wasted valuable time to figure it out. The alarm should say "low oxegon" that way they know what the problem is. Probably cost 100 dollars to put an alarm in, but for some it might be too much to spend.

I remember this, what a crazy and tragic case!

How terrifying. Those poor air men that had to fly alongside those people unconscious knowing they’re alive and possibly having to shoot down the small passenger plane had to be so hard

your editing skills just keep getting better, and the care you put into it does not go unnoticed, its such a breath of fresh air

RIP Michael J. Kling (1956-1999) Stephanie Bellegarrigue (1972-1999) Payne Stewart (1957-1999) Robert E. Fraley (1953-1999) Van Ardan (1954-1999) and Bruce Borland (1958-1999)

you are the only channel i have a notification bell for lol watch straight away haha

I was driving 7 hours from Charlotte NC to the Carolina Coast when this happened. My dad had just passed away and I was going to clean out the house, so I was not in the best mood. Every radio station along those 300 miles was following the situation. I wondered how something like this could happen.

I’ve been waiting for this one! I actually sent an email a bit over a year ago suggesting this story as it is one of the most intriguing aviation incidents I’ve seen, but I also live in Aberdeen, SD, near the area where it crashed. I wasn’t aware of the memorial created on the land, either! Awesome job with this one.

Thank you for uploading FH, quality content as always.

Absolutely horrifying that you can effectively die within 3 seconds of a random air leak in a plane. Just reinforces my deathly fear of airplanes...

I remember this clearly. Those 4 hours of fuel seemed like an eternity wondering where it would go down. I always wondered if the plane had cabin pressure alarms go off in the past causing the crew to disable it or perhaps during maintenance. Makes sense there was no alarm given no request for a low altitude came from the crew. Always a slim chance of a crew member disabling it as well.

Born and raised in Dallas, TX and now in S. Dakota for 3 years. Lived in London for 3 years also. Feels right. Love!

My adopted grandfather knew Mr. Stewart, and I had met him once in 1997 when I was 6. Really nice guy, and when he passed away my grandfather was in tears. Sad way for someone to die, but at least there was no fear as everyone was (hopefully) still knocked out before the crash.

Good morning 🌞 and thank-you FH 😊

Oh goodness, what are the odds that the landowner where the plane met its final fate would have been an avid golf fan. That's just extraordinary, I mean really just think of it. Golf is not what we would generally think of as a universally beloved sport. It is it has almost always had a reputation of being a game for the rich and the idle, but that's not even necessarily true anymore, nor was it then. But I still think that's just bang up extraordinary, and what a nice and generous person to do what he did with the memorial. Some people are pretty special, kind of gives you hope in a time where some of our own Congress persons spend every single day seething with hatred, attempting to legislate the theft of our freedoms and rights and doing absolutely nothing to help the American people.

So happy to see you posted, I had good timing with getting ready today🥰

Fascinating Horror is usually part of a well balanced breakfast for me. Sun's shining, skies are blue, and there's some new horror to start the day....This - is my zen 😌