Event CEN11LA307

Factual narrative

On April 24, 2011, about 1030 mountain daylight time a Cessna 320F airplane, N320AZ, impacted Heron Lake, near Los Ojos, New Mexico, after departing from cruise flight. The pilot, sole occupant, received fatal injuries. The airplane was substantially damaged in the collision and the wreckage submerged in deep water. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which was not operating on a flight plan. The flight originated from Prescott, Arizona, about 0730 mountain daylight time. A witness who was on the water at the time, reported that he heard the engine sound of an airplane flying low overhead. He stated that the engine noise suddenly went silent and he saw a large splash of water. At the time of the accident, weather reported in the area was stormy with rain and thunderstorms. The airplane wreckage was not recovered from the water; an examination of the engines and airframe was not possible. However, pieces that were recovered indicated the airplane fragmented on impact. The airplane’s maintenance records were not available for this investigation. The severity of the water accident meant that the pilot’s identity was determined by DNA and a toxicology test was not performed. A review of records on file with the Federal Aviation Administration revealed the pilot held a private pilot certificate, with single and multi-engine land, airplane ratings. The pilot did not possess an instrument rating. Additionally, the records revealed that he held a third class medical certificate dated December 30, 2009. During the investigation, the pilot’s logbook was not recovered, and as a result his time in make and model, as well as a breakdown of pilot times were not determined. Numerous packages, reportedly illegal narcotics, surfaced from the wreckage and were seized by the authorities. 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. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).

• C Personnel issues-Action/decision-(general)-(general)-Pilot - C
• — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Ceiling/visibility/precip-(general)-Not specified