Sgt. Samuel Todd Smith, a patrol supervisor in the Pace District Office of the Santa Rosa County (FL) Sheriff's Office, and Bill McKinnon, a contract pilot, were taken from the wreck to Baptist LifeFlight helicopter to West Florida Hospital for surgery. Both are expected to recover.

The Pensacola News Journal reported, "Santa Rosa sheriff's spokesman Jerry Henderson said the men were circling the Jay area, searching for marijuana fields, when the plane took a nosedive."

Sergeant Smith, who had a broken leg, arm, and back, was found on the ground beneath the plane. The pilot was found inside the cockpit, in his belts. He suffered cuts and scrapes, and undetermined injuries to his knees. Both were listed in serious condition. The plane was found resting on its nose in tall trees, in a near-vertical position.

On a marijuana flight like this one, the pilot flies around until the spotter sees the plants' distinctive color; then they loiter over the area until the GPS coordinates are noted and radioed to spotters on the ground. Since it took rescuers over half an hour to find the wreck, it's unlikely they had radioed any coordinates prior to the crash. Santa Rosa County has found and eradicated nearly 2500 'mary jane' plants this year, including over 500 captured all at once. They had a street value, police say, greater than the replacement cost of the 182 that was lost trying to find them.

**   Report created 9/4/2003   Record 5  **
IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 52165        Make/Model: C182      Description: 182, Skylane
  Date: 09/03/2003     Time: 1730
  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Serious     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage:
LOCATION
  City: JAY   State: FL   Country: US
DESCRIPTION
  SANTA ROSA COUNTY SHERIFF PUBLIC USE AIRCRAFT, CRASHED INTO THE TREES UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, 5 MILES SOUTH OF JAY, FL
INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   0
                 # Crew:  2     Fat:   0     Ser:   2     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Pass:   0     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
WEATHER: METAR KNSE 031955Z
OTHER DATA
  Activity: Aerial Observation      Phase: Maneuver      Operation: Public
  Departed: MILTON, FL                  Dep Date: 09/03/2003   Dep. Time:
  Destination: MILTON, FL               Flt Plan: NONE         Wx Briefing: N
  Last Radio Cont: NONE
  Last Clearance: NONE
  FAA FSDO: BIRMINGHAM, AL  (SO09)                Entry date: 09/04/2003