Charlie and Mr. Eko at the plane.

The Drug Smugglers' Plane is a Beechcraft airplane that crashed on the Island. It was carrying Virgin Mary statues which contained heroin inside of them. The plane was flown by Nigerian drug smugglers who were disguised as priests.

In Nigeria, Mr. Eko came up with a plan to transport heroin outside the country. He and the other smugglers, Goldie and Olu, dressed up as priests, loaded the plane with heroin, inside the Virgin Mary statues, to make it appear they are on a missionary. Before leaving, Yemi came, pleading Mr. Eko to stop what they are doing. The military came, and shoot Olu. Yemi tries to stop the shooting, but is shot himself. Goldie brings Yemi onto the plane, but kicks out Mr. Eko, as he attempted to climb on board. The plane takes off without Mr. Eko.

The plane crashes on the Island.

The plane crashes on the Island at an unknown time. Locke, who is travelling through time, witnesses the plane crash. It flies very low, only a few meters above him. A Virgin Mary statue falls out of the plane. He goes to investigate the crash, but cannot make it to the plane, as he is shot down by Ethan.

The first survivors to discover the plane were Nikki and Paulo, who also discovered the Pearl station just below it. Nikki tells Paulo to climb into the plane, which is hanging from a cliff, but he refuses, thinking that it will fall if he tries.

The plane hanging from the cliff.

Locke has a vision in which he sees the plane crash. He believes that the answer as to how to open up the hatch will be found in the plane. Locke and Boone find the plane, and Boone climbs into it. He cannot find anything but the heroin. He attempts to use the plane's radio, and manages to make contact with someone, who is actually Bernard. Suddenly, the plane falls off the cliff, with Boone inside, fatally injuring him.

Locke shows Sayid the plane, showing him that what he said about Boone's death is true. Later, Sayid and Charlie come across the plane while trying to rescue Aaron from Rousseau. Sayid shows Charlie that the Virgin Mary statues contained heroin. Charlie secretly takes a statue, and collects a stash of them which he hid in the jungle.

The Virgin Mary statues.

When Mr. Eko discovers that Charlie carries a statue of the Virgin Mary, he orders him to take him to the place which he found it at. They eventually arrive, and Mr. Eko finds the body of his brother, Yemi, inside the plane. He takes the cross that is brother was wearing, and burns the plane while citing the 23rd Psalm.

Locke and Mr. Eko return to the site, while searching for the question mark Locke saw on the blast door map. He finds a giant ? on the ground where the plane is, and discover the Pearl. Later, they return, along with Desmond, Sayid, Nikki, and Paulo. While they are in the Pearl, Mr. Eko searches the plane, but discovers Yemi's body is missing. Yemi appears, and after talking, he disappears into the jungle. Mr. Eko follows him, but is killed by the Smoke Monster.


Questions:

• Where was the plane heading to?
• How did the plane crash on the Island?
• If Locke was indeed intended to go to the plane as directed by his 'vision' then what in fact was the purpose of the visit as it only appears to have led to Boone's death and nothing more.