What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On Sunday, July 29, 2012, N8121Y, a Piper PA-30, serial number, 30-1231 was en route from huntington tri-state airport (khts) to grand prairie municipal (kgpm). The aircraft had cruised at 4500 feet but had begun a decent in preparation for landing. Approximately 15 miles out of kennett memorial airport (ktkx), the pilot felt the aircraft suddenly yaw to the right. The right engine had stopped running. The pilot stated he attempted to restart the right engine twice, the first attempt resulting in the engine running 20-30 seconds. The pilot stated that he then feathered the right engine but was still unable to maintain altitude and was descending very slowly. Pilot stated that he observed a tree line between his present position and the airport and decided to attempt a second restart. On the second attempt the engine did not restart however the propeller did un-feather. The pilot was unable to maintain altitude and landed the aircraft gear up, flaps up in a cotton field near Bragg City, MO with approximately 200 feet ground scar with substantial damage to the aircraft. During the accident scene investigation the left and right engine two bladed propeller blades were bent aft. The left and right engine propellers were both found in the not feathered position. The left and right propeller levers were in the full forward position. There was substantial damage to the lower fuselage from aft of the nose cone to the area aft of the wings and flaps. During inspection of the right engine fuel system, the fuel flow out side of the fuel flow transducer mounted on the engine firewall has one flexible fuel hose that goes forward to an engine cooling baffling into a fitting. Out of that fitting another fuel hose goes forward and connects to the fuel flow divider on the top of the engine. This hose was found less than finger tight. When the right engine airframe fuel boost pump was turned on fuel was observed leaking out of this hose/fitting assembly at the engine cooling baffling location. There was another fitting that threads into the fuel metering servo on the right engine that was safetied but also loose. No fuel was observed leaking from this fitting. No fuel was observed in the left auxiliary fuel tank, the left main fuel tank had 3 inches of fuel showing, the right auxiliary fuel tank had 1 inch of fuel showing and the right main fuel tank had 3 inches of fuel showing. All aileron, elevator, and rudder control systems, to include trim systems were checked for continuity and found to indicate proper functionality.
As the FAA filed it
ON SUNDAY, JULY 29, 2012, N8121Y, A PIPER PA-30, SERIAL NUMBER, 30-1231 WAS EN ROUTE FROM HUNTINGTON TRI-STATE AIRPORT (KHTS) TO GRAND PRAIRIE MUNICIPAL (KGPM). THE AIRCRAFT HAD CRUISED AT 4500 FEET BUT HAD BEGUN A DECENT IN PREPARATION FOR LANDING. APPROXIMATELY 15 MILES OUT OF KENNETT MEMORIAL AIRPORT (KTKX), THE PILOT FELT THE AIRCRAFT SUDDENLY YAW TO THE RIGHT. THE RIGHT ENGINE HAD STOPPED RUNNING. THE PILOT STATED HE ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE RIGHT ENGINE TWICE, THE FIRST ATTEMPT RESULTING IN THE ENGINE RUNNING 20-30 SECONDS. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE THEN FEATHERED THE RIGHT ENGINE BUT WAS STILL UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE AND WAS DESCENDING VERY SLOWLY. PILOT STATED THAT HE OBSERVED A TREE LINE BETWEEN HIS PRESENT POSITION AND THE AIRPORT AND DECIDED TO ATTEMPT A SECOND RESTART. ON THE SECOND ATTEMPT THE ENGINE DID NOT RESTART HOWEVER THE PROPELLER DID UN-FEATHER. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE AND LANDED THE AIRCRAFT GEAR UP, FLAPS UP IN A COTTON FIELD NEAR BRAGG CITY, MO WITH APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET GROUND SCAR WITH SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. DURING THE ACCIDENT SCENE INVESTIGATION THE LEFT AND RIGHT ENGINE TWO BLADED PROPELLER BLADES WERE BENT AFT. THE LEFT AND RIGHT ENGINE PROPELLERS WERE BOTH FOUND IN THE NOT FEATHERED POSITION. THE LEFT AND RIGHT PROPELLER LEVERS WERE IN THE FULL FORWARD POSITION. THERE WAS SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LOWER FUSELAGE FROM AFT OF THE NOSE CONE TO THE AREA AFT OF THE WINGS AND FLAPS. DURING INSPECTION OF THE RIGHT ENGINE FUEL SYSTEM, THE FUEL FLOW OUT SIDE OF THE FUEL FLOW TRANSDUCER MOUNTED ON THE ENGINE FIREWALL HAS ONE FLEXIBLE FUEL HOSE THAT GOES FORWARD TO AN ENGINE COOLING BAFFLING INTO A FITTING. OUT OF THAT FITTING ANOTHER FUEL HOSE GOES FORWARD AND CONNECTS TO THE FUEL FLOW DIVIDER ON THE TOP OF THE ENGINE. THIS HOSE WAS FOUND LESS THAN FINGER TIGHT. WHEN THE RIGHT ENGINE AIRFRAME FUEL BOOST PUMP WAS TURNED ON FUEL WAS OBSERVED LEAKING OUT OF THIS HOSE/FITTING ASSEMBLY AT THE ENGINE COOLING BAFFLING LOCATION. THERE WAS ANOTHER FITTING THAT THREADS INTO THE FUEL METERING SERVO ON THE RIGHT ENGINE THAT WAS SAFETIED BUT ALSO LOOSE. NO FUEL WAS OBSERVED LEAKING FROM THIS FITTING. NO FUEL WAS OBSERVED IN THE LEFT AUXILIARY FUEL TANK, THE LEFT MAIN FUEL TANK HAD 3 INCHES OF FUEL SHOWING, THE RIGHT AUXILIARY FUEL TANK HAD 1 INCH OF FUEL SHOWING AND THE RIGHT MAIN FUEL TANK HAD 3 INCHES OF FUEL SHOWING. ALL AILERON, ELEVATOR, AND RUDDER CONTROL SYSTEMS, TO INCLUDE TRIM SYSTEMS WERE CHECKED FOR CONTINUITY AND FOUND TO INDICATE PROPER FUNCTIONALITY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.