- Date
- March 5, 1991, 10:50 local (17:50 UTC)
- Place
- Whites City, NM
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N2019VBeech 58
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 24, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910305005319A
- Case key
- 18017
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's inflight decision to fly at low altitude. Factors were: turbulence and downdrafts.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The airplane collided with a 7500 foot mountain at the 6600 foot level in VFR conditions. The pilot filed a dvfr flight plan and indicated a cruising altitude of 6500 to 7000 feet. Altocumulus standing lenticular clouds were observed in the area at the time of the accident. Although the pilot had flown this route on numerous occasions, he was known to fly at low altitudes. According to local officials, there were strong westerly winds and associated turbulence over the guadalupe mountains on the morning of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2019V
- Reported as
- Beech 58
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- TH-956
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-C(7), 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Stipp, Robert J.
- Registered owner
- Stipp, Robert J.
- Departed
- HOB · Hobbs, NM
- Destination
- MHMO · Hermosillo
- Flight plan
- VFR
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 76
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 5,878 total · 1,772 in this make and model · 60 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 27 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.