Accident Overview
On a dark night in fog, a pilot attempted to land an aircraft at an airport that lacked a published instrument approach procedure. The aircraft was carrying an estimated 317 kilograms of cocaine. Witnesses reported that approximately 45 minutes after the estimated time of the accident, the visibility was no more than one-half mile in fog.
Circumstances
During the landing attempt, the aircraft collided with a tree about 1,400 feet short of the runway threshold and about 600 feet to the right of the extended runway centerline. After striking the tree, the aircraft continued for about 380 feet before contacting the ground. A fire ensued after ground impact.
Both occupants were killed. The pilot's flight time was obtained from the pilot's most recent CFI application.
Probable Cause
The official investigation identified several contributing findings to the accident. The primary causes were the pilot's decision to attempt a landing at an airport without a published instrument approach procedure in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), attempting VFR flight into IMC, and poor in-flight planning and decision-making. Additional factors included the dark night and fog conditions.