On September 11, 1985, former American narcotics officer and Kentucky-based drug smuggler Andrew C.
Thornton II was trafficking cocaine from Colombia into the United States.
After dropping off a shipment in Blairsville, Georgia, Thornton and an accomplice departed in an auto-piloted Cessna 404 Titan.
En route, the duo dropped a load of 40 plastic containers of cocaine into the wilderness before abandoning the plane above Knoxville, Tennessee.
Thornton was instantly killed in the evacuation when his parachute failed to open.
According to the FBI, Thornton dumped his cargo due to the weight being too heavy in-flight.
