Incident Overview
At the end of the day, the crew of a twin-engine Navajo departed from a small airfield in a suburb of Manaus, carrying a load of 616 small packages containing cocaine. The aircraft entered Venezuelan airspace without clearance, prompting air traffic control to contact the crew twice. The crew did not respond.
Interception and Engagement
Venezuelan authorities dispatched two fighter aircraft to establish visual and radio contact with the Navajo. Due to low visibility from night and poor weather conditions, the fighters were unable to make contact, and the Navajo continued its flight. Approximately three hours later, the aircraft was again detected over the State of Cojedes, and the decision was taken to shoot it down.
Crash and Aftermath
Out of control, the Navajo crashed in a pasture in the region of Ricaurte. The impact forces totally destroyed the aircraft. Both pilots were killed, and the narcotics load was found at the scene. The aircraft bore an illegal registration, YV1246, affixed as a sticker over the official Brazilian registration PT-RCN.