Amateur-built S1C accident near New Windsor, Maryland, March 16, 1995
On March 16, 1995 at about 10:37 pm local time, a amateur-built S1C, registered N4T, was substantially damaged in an accident near New Windsor, Maryland. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the failure of the fuel pump diagram which resulted in fuel starvation and a subsequent forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 16, 1995 · about 10:37 pm local time
- Place
- New Windsor, Maryland · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built S1C
- Registration
- N4T · registry record · serial 01
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
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.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Flight time: 350 hours in all; 100 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 28, 1994; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 900 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: W54 Westminster MD at 9:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 15,000 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:45 pm from MTN, 45 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.