Australian Pilot Dies as Zambia-Registered Single-Engine Plane Carrying 200kg of Cocaine Crashes in Brazil
A fatal plane crash in northeastern Brazil has exposed a large-scale cocaine smuggling operation after authorities found nearly 200 kilograms of the drug inside a downed aircraft. The accident took place on September 14, 2025 , in the municipality of Coruripe, in the state of Alagoas, when a single-engine plane registered in Zambia went down in a sugarcane plantation. The sole occupant, an Australian pilot in his mid-40s, was killed instantly. According to initial reports, the crash happened in the afternoon at approximately 1:30 pm local time. The aircraft, a light model with only one engine, plummeted into farmland before breaking apart on impact. Local residents alerted authorities after spotting the wreckage and large quantities of suspicious packages scattered around the site. On arrival, police units and firefighters confirmed that the packages contained cocaine, with the total weight later assessed at close to 200 kilograms. Some of the seized bricks were marked with labels re...