Cessna 320 accident near Lake Heron, New Mexico, April 24, 2011
On April 24, 2011 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Cessna 320, registered N320AZ, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Lake Heron, New Mexico. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s controlled flight into terrain while conducting a flight at low altitude in instrument meteorological conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 24, 2011 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Lake Heron, New Mexico · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 320 F · all 320s on the register
- Registration
- N320AZ · no longer on the register · serial 320-0027
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was on a cross-country flight. A witness, who was on a lake, reported that he heard the sound of an airplane pass low over his head. He added that the engine sound went silent and that he saw a splash of water as the airplane impacted the lake. The airplane was not recovered from the lake; however, highly fragmented parts of the airplane were recovered. Numerous packages, reportedly illegal narcotics, surfaced from the wreckage and were seized by the authorities. At the time of the accident, rain and thunderstorms were reported in the area. The accident is consistent with controlled flight into terrain, while the pilot was operating at low altitude in reduced visibility conditions.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during enroute defining event
- Security/criminal event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › (general) › (general) › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Ceiling/visibility/precip › (general) › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Continental IO-520 series (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Continential IO-520 series (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Prescott AZ at 2:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 0.5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,000 ft; ovct at 1,000 ft
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Observation at 8:15 am from KE33, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.