Accident Overview
On July 29, 2012, at 1123 central daylight time, a Piper PA-30 twin-engine airplane, registration N8121Y, made a forced landing to a field after a total loss of engine power to the right engine. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The certified private pilot and the passenger were not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot. No flight plan was filed for the flight, which originated at Tri-State Airport/Milton J. Ferguson Field (HTS), Huntington, West Virginia, about 0744, and was destined for Kennett Memorial Airport (TKX), Kennett, Missouri. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
Pilot's Account
The pilot reported departing West Virginia with full fuel tanks. The flight was uneventful until the airplane suddenly yawed to the right approximately 15 miles from TKX. The pilot confirmed that the right engine had stopped operating. He attempted to restart the engine, but it only ran for 20 to 30 seconds. The pilot then feathered the right propeller, but the airplane would not maintain altitude. Realizing he would not reach the airport, the pilot prepared for a forced landing and made one more attempt to restart the engine, which did not start. However, the propeller unfeathered during this attempt. The pilot landed with the landing gear retracted in a cultivated field. The airplane slid for several hundred yards before coming to rest upright, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage.
Examination Findings
Two Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors performed an on-scene examination of the airplane. They found that the B-nut connecting the engine-driven fuel pump to the fuel-metering unit on the right engine was loose and leaking fuel. A review of the engine maintenance logbooks indicated that the pilot/owner, who also held an FAA airframe and mechanic certificate, had completed an annual inspection approximately 10 hours before the accident and had recently overhauled the airplane's entire fuel system. No other mechanical anomalies were noted with the engine.