Piper PA-30 accident near Bragg City, Missouri, July 29, 2012
On July 29, 2012 at about 4:23 pm local time, a Piper PA-30, registered N8121Y, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Bragg City, Missouri (None airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to properly tighten the b-nut from the engine-driven fuel pump to the fuel-metering unit during maintenance, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 29, 2012 · about 4:23 pm local time
- Place
- Bragg City, Missouri · None · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-30 · all PA-30s on the register
- Registration
- N8121Y · no longer on the register · serial 30-1231
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said that the airplane's right engine stopped producing power in flight and that he was unable to maintain altitude. The pilot made a forced landing to a field with the landing gear up, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. Postaccident examination of the right engine revealed that the b-nut from the engine-driven fuel pump to the fuel-metering unit was loose and leaking fuel. The pilot, who owned and maintained the airplane, had completed an annual inspection of the airplane about 10 flight hours before the accident occurred. He had also recently overhauled the airplane's entire fuel system. No other mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation were noted.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Installation › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › (general) › Incorrect service/maintenance
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,040 hours in all; 1,392 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 1,926 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 6, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,175 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 5, 2012; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,120 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: Lycoming IO-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming IO-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HTS Huntington WV at 12:44 pm
- Destination: TKX Kennett MO
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 12,000 ft; ovct at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 4:00 pm from MAW, 17 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on August 27, 2013. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation - FAA Inspector | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.