♪ ♪ yeah it goes like ♪ ♪ ♪ yeah it goes like ♪ ♪ [ cheers and applause ] ♪ this is "nightline." >> byron: tonight -- nightmare in the sky. extreme turbulence 37,000 feet in the air. at least one dead and dozens injured, including some americans. the harrowing flight, passengers

violently tossed into the ceiling. >> the seat belt sign apparently only came on a few seconds prior to hitting this turbulence. >> byron: as we head into a record-breaking holiday travel weekend, the crucial piece of advice for flyers. plus graceland foreclosure? >> this moment, we are in graceland. >> the fight to save elvis presley's historic home from the auction block. ♪ we're caught in a trap ♪ >> byron: with hits like "suspicious minds," a major tourist destination raking in millions a year, why the presley family says it's a scam. carolyn bessette kennedy. inside her storied romance with john f. kennedy jr. known as america's prince. >> he was coming to buy a few suits at calvin klein. of course, he left with a crush and her phone number. >> byron: 25 years after their tragic death, reframing her image. >> the assumptions from the pictures that carolyn was icy.

>> and one of jfk jr.'s biggest regrets. plus fast food wars. >> please watch your prices. >> two industry giants compete for customers who crave lower prices with new value meals. pain means pause on the things you love, but... green... means... go! ♪ cool the pain with biofreeze. and keep on going. biofreeze. green means go. this isn't charmin! no wonder i don't feel as clean. here's charmin ultra strong. ahhh! my bottom's been saved! with its diamond weave texture, charmin ultra strong cleans better with fewer sheets and less effort. enjoy the go with charmin.

yes, ahh!! mom: what is going on with you? get out! andy! get out of my room! get out! mom: andy. fight! fight! i didn't say anything. yes you did. ♪ (ominous music) ♪ ♪ (ominous music) ♪ ♪ >> byron: good evening. thank you for joining us.

we begin with terrifying turbulence for passengers aboard a packed flight. the incident putting flyers on edge as millions prepare to travel over the busy holiday weekend. the horror and chaos inside the plane and the new details coming in tonight. here's abc's transportation correspondent gio benitez. >> reporter: outside a scene of absolute pandemonium. emergency crews scrambling to help the passengers of singapore airlines flight sq-321. but inside, so much worse. videos and images showing the devastation of that midair crisis when the singapore airlines boeing 777 hit turbulence earlier today. at least one has died, seven more are critically injured. >> just the objects flying, not knowing what's going on, a lack of control, loss of control. helplessness. >> reporter: andrew davies says he and other passengers tried to help the injured.

>> >> reporter: the flight left monday night from london heathrow destined for singapore with 211 passengers and 18 crew on board. ten hours in, airline officials say the aircraft hit a patch of turbulence. the pilot declared a medical emergency and diverted the plane to bangkok. >> as wild as this must have felt inside the cabin, the airplane only dropped 100 feet. then it climbed back up 300 feet. so just that short period of negative gee, descending 100 feet very rapidly, was enough to push all those people who were injured up onto the ceiling or to bounce off the seats around them. >> reporter: pictures from the scene show oxygen masks dropped from the ceiling and equipment thrown about. the incident causing damage and injuring multiple people on board with what appears to be blood seen on seat handles.

parts of the ceiling caved in. all told, 71 people were sent to the hospitals, including two american passengers. thai officials say six people remain in critical condition. the one passenger who died, 73-year-old jeff kitchen, his musical theater group confirmed on facebook paying tribute to their friend. singapore airlines releasing a statement saying in part, "singapore airlines offers its deepest condolences to the family of the deceased. we deeply apologize for the traumatic experience that our passengers and crew members suffered on this flight. we are providing all necessary assistance during this difficult time." >> travel like never before. >> reporter: singapore airlines is consistently known as one of the top airlines. last year, sky tracks, an international air transport ratings organization, ranked them as the world's best. >> this is an airline that has great pilots, has great training, has a great safety record. so when a pilot says put your

seat belt on, even when you're not experiencing turbulence, it's for your own good. >> reporter: turbulence accidents are the most common causes of injuries aboard commercial airliners according to a 2021 study by the national trpgts safety board. the faa reporting that it found 163 incidents of serious turbulence injuries from 2009 to 2022. just look at this computer simulation posts on the faa website demonstrating the effects turbulence can have on belted and unbelted passengers and unsecured objec 18 craft cabin. there is strong evidence that turbulence is increasing because of climate change. severe clear-air turbulence in the north atlantic has increased by 55% since 1979. >> weather predictions about global warming increasing turbulence come true, the idea here is that more people are flying. as more people fly, airplanes are going to encounter more turbulence. and when we see more turbulence, we're going to see more of these

kinds of accidents, these kinds of injuries, if people do not put their seat belt on when the seat belt sign comes on. >> reporter: airborne incidents are incredibly rare, but they do happen. the results can be harrowing. last year this southwest flight to florida, the cabin filling with smoke and panic. >> evacuate, evacuate! >> reporter: passengers evacuating after a bird strike. >> in the moment, you kind of think, please, god, just let me get out of this. >> reporter: also last year, this lufthansa flight suddenly dropping 1,000 feet during dinner service, sending objects flying and a flight attendant reportedly hitting the ceiling. one of the most terrifying -- this was the nightmare scenario for the passengers of alaska airlines flight 1282 bound for ontario, california, this past january. terrifying moments from 16,000 feet in the air.

>> i was really praying, asking god to put angels under the wings to hold us up. >> reporter: the alaska jet, a boeing 737 max 9 taking off from portland, oregon, when all of a sudden the door plug, which is used to cover and seal optional emergency exits, flew off. >> i was really scared. i remember being like, i need to tell everyone i love them. i thought i was going to die. >> reporter: after a three-day search, that door plug that flew off the plaeng was located in a portland, oregon, schoolteacher's backyard. an ntsb report released in february found four bolts in the door plug designed to prevent the plug from falling off the plane were missing before the incident occurred. all of this comes at the cusp of the busiest travel day of the year so far. aaa predicts over 3.5 million people will travel by plane over the holiday weekend, building up to be the busiest memorial day weekend at u.s. airports since 2005. >> lots of people are going to be flying. this is the time of year when we see severe storms, particularly

around the middle of the country. so pilots are going to be extra careful in making sure that seat belt sign comes on in time for everybody who isn't buckled up to get buckled up. >> byron: our thanks to gio. we turn now to a stunning development involving graceland, the famed home of elvis presley and popular tourist attraction in memphis which may be facing foreclosure. how the king of rock 'n' roll's granddaughter is trying to stop that from happening. more now from abc's steve osunsami. >> reporter: for worldwide fans of elvis presley who still think of graceland as sacred ground, the developments tonight are stunning, that the memphis mansion is up on the auction block to pay off what creditors say is a family debt. but tonight, elvis' granddaughter, who inherited the mansion from her mother, is fighting this, accusing those creditors of trying to pull off what she said is a fraudulent sale. the people trying to take the property claim that before she died last year, lisa marie presley took out a loan for $3.8

million and used graceland as collateral. but riley keough, presley's daughter, elvis' granddaughter, and the current opener, says in a counter lawsuit that her mother did not borrow anything. she also says the documents are forgeries and she shares a sworn statement from the notary whose signature appears on loan documents saying "i have never met lisa marie presley, nor have i ever notarized a document signed by lisa marie presley." we were at graceland when the family was promoting "elvis." >> i'm sitting here watching this movie going, god, i wish he could see this. it was perfection. >> reporter: it's a major tourist attraction that pulls in millions each year for the presley heirs. in a statement, priscilla presley, elvis' ex-wife and riley keough's grandmother, said graceland will not be auctioned, saying this is not happening, this is a scam. >> byron: our thanks to steve. abc news has tried to reach out to the investment and lending company behind this, but we're

finding that phone numbers are disconnected and emails are bouncing back. there's a court hearing tomorrow. the family is asking the state to kill the auction. up next, carolyn bessette kennedy. she met one of the america's most eligible bachelors, john f. kennedy jr., and was hounded by paparazzi. the woman behind the glamor. pi. with apretude, a prescription medicine used to reduce the risk of hiv without daily prep pills. with one shot every other month, just 6 times a year. in studies, apretude was proven superior to a daily prep pill in reducing the risk of hiv. you must be hiv negative, to receive apretude and get tested before each injection. if you think you were exposed to hiv or have flu-like symptoms, tell your doctor right away. apretude does not prevent other sexually transmitted infections. practice safer sex to reduce your risk. don't take apretude if you're allergic to it or taking certain medicines, as they may interact. tell your doctor if you've had liver or kidney problems or mental health concerns.

if you have a rash or other allergic reactions, stop apretude and get medical help right away. serious side effects include allergic reactions, liver problems, and depression. some of the most common side effects include injection-site reactions and headache. you must receive apretude as scheduled. ask your doctor about long-acting apretude. and prep without pills. save at apretude.com. time to press rewind with... neutrogena rapid wrinkle repair. it has derm-proven retinol... ...expertly formulated... ...to target skin cell turnover... ...and fights not one—but 5 signs of aging. with visible results... ...in just one week. neutrogena wanna know a secret? with new secret outlast, you can almost miss the bus... but smell like you didn't. secret fights 99% of odor-causing bacteria. smell fresh for up to 72 hours. secret works! it's a crime to smell that good.

a slow network is no network for business. that's why more choose comcast business. and now, we're introducing ultimate speed for business —our fastest plans yet. we're up to 12 times faster than verizon, at&t, and t-mobile.

and existing customers could even get up to triple the speeds... at no additional cost. it's ultimate speed for ultimate business. don't miss out on our fastest speed plans yet! switch to comcast business and get started for $49.99 a month. plus, ask how to get up to an $800 prepaid card. call today! ♪ >> byron: welcome back. john f. kennedy jr. was considered american royalty, one of the country's most eligible bachelors. he grew up in the spotlight, and when he married carolyn

bessette, the glare intensified. now, 25 years after their tragic deaths, a new book is shedding light on the side of business set kennedy that the world never knew. >> reporter: the man who loved her, jfk jr., called her an ordinary person. a person who was catapulted into the national spotlight, often vilified by the tabloids. >> the assumptions from the pictures, that she was icy, that she was cold. what i quickly learned was that she was warm and effervescent. >> reporter: in her new biography, "once upon a time: the captivating life of carolyn bessette kennedy," elizabeth beller looks at the woman behind the media frenzy who captured the heart of one of the world's most eligible bachelors, once named "people" magazine's sexiest man alive. 25 years after their tragic early deaths, his wife, carolyn, remains an enigmatic figure. >> you write about how john

popped the question. >> yes. >> and carolyn said, "i'll get back to you." >> i'll get back to you, i'll think about it. she knew that she was not going to enjoy a large part of what being a public person meant. and i think even though she had this intense fear, i think the fact that she loved him took that over. >> reporter: a child of divorce, working all through high school and college to become a publicist for callan kline, she wasn't born into privilege. >> no, she was not born into privilege. she grew up with her mother and sisters, surrounded by very strong women. i think that informed her work life, too. >> reporter: a contrast to her husband's life, known as america's prince. born into an american dynasty weeks after his father's presidential election back in 1960. those camelot years coming to a devastating halt after kennedy's assassination in 1963. >> the president died at 1:35. >> reporter: it was little john

john, forever immortalized in the memories of americans at his father's funeral. america watching as he grew up, becoming america's heartthrob. >> the united states has some sort of a mother-in-law mentality when it comes to john. he's our prince. so who's going to be good enough for that? >> reporter: jfk jr. couldn't escape life in the public eye. dating high-profile celebrities like actress daryl hannah. but it was one fateful shopping spree that would lead him to the one. >> he was coming to buy a few suits at calvin klein. of course, he left with a crush and her phone number. and a few suits. >> reporter: carolyn and john met in the spring of 1992 when she was in her mid-20s. the pair began dating in 1994 and engaged a year later. >> as things intensified, it got crazy. some of the press was very nice. some of it was sort of, who is she? you know. why her? >> reporter: though carolyn was

often sought after for her elegant fashion style and natural beauty, the couple became a target for ruthless paparazzi and media scrutiny. >> she felt hunted by the paparazzi. she didn't look happy when having pictures taken on the street. so people made the assumption that she was icy and cold. she was also aware that she did not look like the cookie-cutter american. newspapers called her beaky. >> reporter: john was accustomed to the press, maybe made jokes with them. but so many of the photos are of their looking shocked. >> she was very uncomfortable with it. and he learned from the best. he learned from jackie. >> reporter: the attention never swayed their commitment. carolyn bessette becoming carolyn bessette kennedy in an ultra-secret wedding. her slip dress gown designed by her friend, then a little-known designer narcisso rodriguez. like a kennedy, john was

adventurous? he decides to take flying lessons and she wasn't thrilled about that? she didn't quite trust him flying? >> yes, i think for carolyn she felt like, maybe he was a little disorganized to be a pilot. >> reporter: as the years went on, tension began to build in their home. one point of contention, carolyn's late mother-in-law, jackie kennedy onassis. she never met his mother? >> never met jackie. friends say, once he did decide, yes, this is the person, by then jackie was quite sick. one of his biggest regrets in his life was not introducing them. because that was another thing that i think hurt carolyn. >> reporter: a lot of people were waiting for them to settle down, have children are children. but she was nervous? >> very nervous. and unfortunately, the accident happened before she had that opportunity. >> reporter: at just 33, carolyn's narrative, cut short. >> the search for john f. kennedy and his wife and her sister, who disappeared last

night on their way first to martha's vineyard just off the east coast -- >> it was an absolute shock. there was 24/7 coverage of it. they went into overdrive. i honestly wonder sometimes if there sometimes wasn't a little bit of feeling of guilt. >> reporter: on the part of the media the tabloids. when it became clear that it was no longer search and rescue, it was search and recovery, the press kept on. >> reporter: investigators later determined john lost control of the plane after becoming disoriented in the dense night fog, yet rumors surrounding the crash circulated with some blaming carolyn, claiming she delayed the flight with a pedicure, leading them to fly in the dark. you wrote that she was not given due process in the court of public opinion. what do you mean by that? >> when you're in grief, you want to put blame somewhere already and because she had not

engaged with the media, it was all too's for them to just fill in the blanks and put blame on her. i don't think you'll find many people that were in that intense of a media eye whose narrative was so incorrect. >> reporter: to many, carolyn bessette kennedy is most remembered not for her life, but her stylish looks. beller hopes to change that. >> one friend, when the accident happened, said that the people who knew her well were sad that she would be remembered as a fashion icon. because she should be remembered for her warmth, for her friendship, for her humor. and i hope that's what sticks out. >> byron: our thanks to deborah. coming up, fast food wars. restaurants battling for customers by slashing prices. my moderate to severe plaque psoriasis held me back... now with skyrizi, i'm all in with clearer skin. ♪ things are getting clearer...♪ ( ♪ )

♪ i feel free... ♪ ♪ to bear my skin, yeah that's all me. ♪ ♪ nothing is everything ♪ ( ♪) with skyrizi, 3 out of 4 people achieved 90% clearer skin at 4 months. and most people were clearer even at 5 years. skyrizi is just 4 doses a year, after 2 starter doses. serious allergic reactions... ...and an increased risk of infections... ...or a lower ability to fight them may occur. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms,... ...had a vaccine, or plan to. ♪ nothing and me go hand-in-hand, ♪ ♪ nothing on my skin, that's my new plan. ♪ ♪ nothing is everything ♪ now's the time,... ...ask your doctor about skyrizi,... ...the number one... ...dermatologist-prescribed biologic in psoriasis. learn how abbvie could help you save. new herbal essences is packed with naturally derived plant based ingredients your hair will love and none of the stuff it won't. our sulfate free collections smell incredible

and leave your hair touchably soft and smooth. new herbal essences. can neuriva support your brain health? mary, janet, hey!! (thinking: eddie, no frasier, frank... frank?) fred! how are you?! fred... fuel up to 7 brain health indicators, including your memory. join the neuriva brain health challenge.

♪ >> byron: finally tonight, fast food restaurants battling for customers. here's abc's janai norman. >> please watch your prices. you can't go up any further. you can't, you can't. >> reporter: fast food chains are putting value meals back on the menu. >> at wendy's, you can get -- >> english muffin and seasoned potatoes for 3 bucks. >> reporter: wendy's offering a $3 english muffin deal which included seasoned potatoes and your choice of bacon or sausage, egg and cheese english muffin sandwich. the meal less than the average cup of coffee. >> it's a great deal for consumers at the drive-thru, it's an even better keel for wendy's. >> reporter: wendy's telling abc news, "we're giving fans even

more ways to satisfy their morning cravings for a price they can feel good about." the english muffin deal voins jo joins their $5 biggie bag and 2 for $3 customer bundles. fast food prices in march were 33% higher than back in 2019, according to the labor department. the fast food wars are heating up more than the grill. wendy's competing for consumers online with their playful marketing strategy, replying to a mcdonald's burger announcement on x writing, "where's the beef?" >> it wanted to be more than hot, it wanted to be juicy. >> reporter: mcdonald's announcing its own special deal tomorrow, six-piece chicken nugget for three for anyone who orders through the app and signs up wide receiver my mcdonald's rewards. >> byron: our thanks to janai. that's "nightline" for this evening. see you here same time tomorrow. thanks for the company, america. od