RESIDENTS FEEL SHOCK, SADNESS OVER AIR CRASH.

Byline: Harrison Sheppard Staff Writer

Southern Californians reacted with shock and sadness Saturday as they learned of the plane crash that left John F. Kennedy Jr. missing and feared dead.

The probable death of the young, handsome scion of America's most prominent political dynasty was mourned as yet another tragic blow to a family that has suffered so much over the decades.

Ironically, the crash comes only days before the anniversaries of two events symbolizing one of the greatest triumphs and one of the worst scandals the Kennedy family has brought to this nation.

Thirty years ago Tuesday, American astronauts first walked on the moon, fulfilling a promise President John F. Kennedy made to the American people.

And today marks the 30th anniversary of the Chappaquiddick scandal, in which Sen. Edward M. ``Ted'' Kennedy drove off a bridge on an island near Martha's Vineyard, leaving aide Mary Jo Kopechne dead.

``It's a bizarre nexus of events,'' said Jon Leonoudakis of Northridge.

``It really makes you believe there's some truth to that thing about there being a curse. Famous family or not, it's a terrible thing to happen.''

Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan said he became friendly with JFK Jr. when he visited Los Angeles several times in the last few years, dropping by the mayor's house on more than one occasion. Riordan said he played broom hockey with him several times and described him as ``a very with-it, down-to-earth guy with no pretenses.''

``I remember discussing with him four or five years ago his starting George magazine,'' Riordan recalled. ``He was so excited about it.''

The Kennedy family, Riordan noted, has suffered through an enormous amount of heartache.

``It takes tremendous strength to endure the death of one family member, but to endure all the tragedies the Kennedy family has takes more than heroic strength,'' Riordan said. ``It's not fair.''

Others Saturday seemed astonished at how one tragedy after another - two assassinations, multiple political and sex scandals, tragic premature deaths - has befallen the Kennedy family over the years.

``It's almost a typical Kennedy story. Every few years something bad has to happen to a Kennedy,'' said Mark Garcie, 36, of Apple Valley. ``For everything good that's happened to that family, there's been two bad things.''

Mark Fleisher, 40, of Los Angeles noted that Kennedy will be remembered as the child pictured crawling around playfully on the floor of the Oval Office as his father, the commander-in-chief, conducted serious business; and then later as the manful boy standing at attention and saluting his slain father's passing coffin.

``You have those images of him as a little boy that will be one of the moments of the millennium when we look back,'' Fleisher said.

Jody Riley heard the news before taking her 13-year-old son to the Van Nuys air show.

``I just can't believe this could happen to that family - again,'' she said as a stunt pilot performed loops over the airport. Her eyes were shaded from the burning sun by a cap embroidered with ``Martha's Vineyard,'' a coincidence, she said.

News of John F. Kennedy Jr.'s misfortune unleashed a flood of memories for Riley.

``Today they were showing pictures of him saluting (his father's) casket, and it just brought everything back,'' Riley said.

Aside from keeping hope alive, Kathy Silianoff, 34, was concerned with how the family would deal with this tragedy, if he was pronounced dead.

``I'm glad that Jackie wasn't alive to see her own son die like this,'' she said.

A number of Angelenos compared Saturday's news to the tragic death of Princess Diana.

``The family really is American royalty. We don't have a royal family, but they're royalty to us,'' said Michelle Mowery, 39, of Long Beach.

Staff Writers David R. Baker and Kathryn Combs contributed to this report.