The Plane Wreck of Norman’s Cay

by Mariah Moyle
9 March, 2023

Those familiar with the Exumas have likely heard whispers of Norman’s Cay — a small island with a reputation for its shady past during the drug-running days of the late 1970s and early 1980s. What was once a quiet Bahamian outpost became, for a brief but unforgettable time, the notorious hub of Colombian trafficker Carlos Lehder and the Medellín Cartel.

While the golden era of “cash and cocaine” was short-lived, even now its stories about those days linger around like the haze of a smoky bar. The most visible reminder of that time rests just offshore: the wreck of a twin-engine aircraft, half-submerged in the shallows of Norman’s Cay. It has become one of the island’s most iconic dive and snorkel sites, photographed endlessly and steeped in myth.

Over the years, we’ve heard every possible version of its story — from a drug plane overloaded with cargo to an appliance company that was delivering materials to the island and crashed due to mechanical failure. Having lived on Norman’s Cay twice, we’ve collected plenty of tales from those who “were there,” and from those who heard it third-hand over a cold beer.

The truth, however, is a little less glamorous and a lot more human. The following excerpt, from Buccaneer: The Provocative Odyssey of Jack Reed, Adventurer, Drug Smuggler, and Pilot Extraordinaire by Jack Reed and Maycay Beeler, recounts the real events behind the wreck — told by someone who actually witnessed it.

The iconic Norman’s Cay plane wreck—a relic of the island’s 1980s smuggling past and one of the Exumas’ most photographed dive sites. Photo credit: Out Island Flyers

“Another interesting event that occurred on the island evolved into a bit of an urban legend. It involved the arrival one afternoon of an old World War II aircraft. It was a C-46, a large twin-engine transport plane utilized to carry troops and cargo. It turned out that the pilot was an English man referred to as “British Andy.” He had at one time done some flying for the organization. He discovered this old relic in Florida and found out that it was for sale. Thinking Morgan [Reed’s nickname for Carlos Lehder] might be interested in buying it to haul cargo, he talked the owner into letting him fly it to Norman’s Cay. Morgan wasn’t interested in buying the plane, but invited Andy to spend a few days on the island.

The Iconic C-46

Andy had a drinking problem, and had been known to take along a six-pack for company on many of his flights. Being on a short vacation seemed like a reasonable excuse for starting his favorite pastime first thing in the morning. One mid-morning, he decided to drop by the airport, being a bit tipsy, to fire-up the old sled and shoot some touch and goes, which is pilot language for practice take-offs and landings. He asked an unsuspecting Colombian lad to join him in his venture and off they went. 

As Andy made his approach for the first landing, he miscalculated the beginning of the runway and touched down short. Realizing his error at the last moment, he gave the old girl full throttle to execute a go-around. To his great dismay, he clipped an earthen berm, tearing the left landing gear loose from its housing, leaving it dangling from the aircraft by cables and hoses. The plane then dipped low enough for the propeller on the left engine to strike the runway – bending it – and rendering it useless. With the right engine roaring and straining to keep the plane airborne, a bit of altitude was gained. It was only enough to clear the runway though, and make a slow settling arc to the left, running out of flying speed and altitude about a block offshore of the marina in front of the hotel. The plane belly-flopped to a splashing spectacular halt in shallow water, about half of it submerged.

Many of us witnessed this fiasco. A boat at the marina made a quick trip to the site of the crash and rescued the two survivors, neither of whom had a scratch. Morgan furnished transportation for the embarrassed pilot back to the states. The plane has sat in this location for decades, deteriorating, and being slightly repositioned by passing hurricanes. 

Having become an iconic image of Norman’s Cay over the years, it has been visited by countless snorkelers, curious boaters and relic collectors. Stories about its demise – the most popular tale being that the plane was too overloaded with kilos to fly, with its pilots high on coke – were created by the most vivid imaginations. Like most of the stories about the infamous Norman’s Cay that I am aware of – only a few portray a semblance of the truth.”