Event NYC95LA075

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. 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. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12