What happened
The incident occurred while the aircraft was operating at a low altitude under surveillance by a United States Customs Service aircraft. Observers noted that the pilot initiated a left turn during this maneuver. During the turn, the left wingtip made contact with the water surface. The impact caused the aircraft to lose control and cartwheel through the water.
Following the crash, several bales containing an unknown substance floated to the surface of the water near the wreckage site. Divers were dispatched to inspect the submerged debris field. Upon examination, they recovered the largest portion of the wreckage, which was identified as a section of the tail assembly.
Despite the recovery efforts, searchers found no signs of the occupants or the bales that had floated to the surface. The aircraft's registered owner could not be located in the aftermath of the accident. Records indicated that the aircraft had been sold to this registered owner only three days prior to the incident.