# NTSB NYC95LA075: Cumberland-Pitts Special S1C, N4T, New Windsor, MD, March 16, 1995

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report
- Date: March 16, 1995, 17:37 local (22:37 UTC)
- Place: New Windsor, MD
- Coordinates: 39.540706, -77.099639 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.5407&lon=-77.0996&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 1 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report June 19, 1995
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB case key (mKey): 38934
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=NYC95LA075
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/38934/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC95LA075

## Probable cause

the failure of the fuel pump diagram which resulted in fuel starvation and a subsequent forced landing.

## Sequence of events

In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf).

- Loss of engine power(total) - mech failure/malf, cruise
  - fuel system,pump - failure,total (cause)
  - fuel system - starvation (contributing factor)
- Forced landing, descent - emergency
- Hard landing, emergency landing

## Analysis

THE PILOT STATED THAT WHILE IN CRUISE, ON A PERSONAL FLIGHT, THE ENGINE STARTED TO RUN ROUGH.  THE PILOT TRIED TO ELIMINATE THE ROUGHNESS BY USE OF A HAND WOBBLE FUEL PUMP AND SWITCHING TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT MAGNETOS.  THE ENGINE INITIALLY GOT BETTER, THEN GOT WORSE, FOLLOWED BY A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER.  THE PILOT MADE A FORCED LANDING IN A BACKYARD.  THE PILOT FURTHER STATED THAT THE LANDING GEAR BROKE ON LANDING 'BECAUSE I HIT TOO HARD.'  DURING THE POST ACCIDENT EXAMINATION, THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION INSPECTOR FOUND THAT THE FUEL PUMP DIAPHRAGM WAS RUPTURED.

## Factual narrative

On Thursday, March 16, 1995, about 1737 eastern standard time, a Pitts Special, N4T, owned and operated by William T. Cumberland, was substantially damaged during a forced landing at New Windsor, Maryland.  The pilot was not injured.  Visual meteorological conditions prevailed.  There was no flight plan for the local flight being conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.

The pilot departed Westminster, Maryland about 1630 on a personal flight.  While in cruise flight the engine started to run rough.  In the NTSB form 6120.1/2, the pilot stated,

...Engine started to run rough...and [I] tried the hand      wobble fuel pump.  Engine started to run better and      then it got worse.  Tried both magnetos....The engine      stopped running....I picked out a corn field and headed      for that.  I ran out of altitude before I got to the      field [and] landed in [a] backyard....Broke landing      gear because I hit too hard.

Post accident examination by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, revealed that the fuel pump diaphragm had ruptured.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N4T](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N4T-2006-06-19), registration cancelled 2006-06-19, S/N 01, built 1969 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CUMBERLAND-PITTS SPECIAL S1C
- Registry model: [Cumberland-Pitts Special S1C](https://openairdocs.org/model/cumberland-pitts-special-s1c) (registry code 72202M5) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-320 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (registry code 41508, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number: 01
- Engines: LYCOMING O-320 160 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Registered owner: Cumberland, William T.
- Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection: Annual, May 28, 1994, 30 hours before
- Departed: W54, WESTMINSTER, MD

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 37; private; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: center; flight hours: 350 total, 100 in this make and model

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 140° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 66 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observed at: MTN, 45 nm away

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 19950316004099A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19950316004099A), Mar 16, 1995: Child S1PITTS, New Windsor, MD, Substantial damage. Rough engine at cruise then quit. Landed hard in a yard. Impact folded landing gear. Fuel pump diaphram ruptured.

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

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