What happened
On an unspecified date, a Hawker aircraft, registered as N917TF, departed from an airfield in Venezuela. The flight was carrying two pilots, two passengers, and approximately 1.3 tons of narcotics, with an intended destination in Central America.
While the aircraft was cruising over the Caribbean Sea near the coast of Colombia, it was intercepted by a fighter jet from the Colombian Air Force. During this encounter, the aircraft's right engine caught fire. Following the engine fire, the crew initiated a descent with the nose in a low position, which resulted in the aircraft impacting the ocean surface and breaking apart.
Search efforts later recovered three bodies and various pieces of wreckage on a beach situated northeast of Puerto Colombia. The narcotics being transported were discovered floating on the water's surface. Although the aircraft's registration history indicates a departure from Fort Lauderdale-Executive Airport, Florida, to Toluca, Mexico, on May 1, 2015, the specific incident occurred during its transit from Venezuela.
Findings
- The aircraft sustained a fire in the right engine during an interception by military aircraft.
- The crash resulted in four fatalities.
- The aircraft disintegrated upon impact with the sea.