Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
the failure of the fuel pump diagram which resulted in fuel starvation and a subsequent forced landing.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
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.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# NYC95LA075