Good VELOCITY N234Q

Summary

On 19 April 1998 at about 22:09 local time, a Good VELOCITY registered N234Q, operated by Douglas C. Dufrense, was involved in an accident near Romulus, Michigan, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

19 April 1998 at 22:09

Classification

Accident

Location

Romulus, Michigan, United States

Coordinates

42.2291, -83.3899

Aircraft

Good VELOCITY

Registration

N234Q

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Douglas C. Dufrense

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI98LA129

1 person died.

improper planning/decision by the pilot, by using the airplane in an illegal activity and allowing the fuel to be exhausted before landing. Factors relating to this accident were: the pilot being under pressure to reach his destination with his illegal cargo, and trees in the forced landing area.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The U.S. Customs Service Air Interdiction Coordination center (DAICC), received notification from a park ranger at Big Bend National Park, TX, of an unidentified airplane entering the United States from Mexico. This airplane did not notify U.S. authorities of its arrival. A U.S. Customs Service aircraft was dispatched, and it intercepted the airplane near Alpine, TX. The U.S. Customs Service aircraft followed the airplane on a northeasterly heading for over 8 hours, until arriving in the Detroit, MI, area. The airplane was observed overflying the Detroit Metropolitan Airport and circling over the downtown area, until it descended and crashed into an athletic field. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the airplane was void of fuel. No other anomaly was found. Approximately 408 pounds of marijuana was recovered from the wreckage.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.