What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot stated:
The aircraft's engine ceased operation as I was returning to box field 45MS for landing after a flight of approximately 1 hour for verification of aircraft performance, systems and navigation equipment followed by a full stop landing at kidl (indianola Ms. Municipal airport). Ild is 8 NM from box field.
Between 45MS and idl, fuel selector was moved to aux tank from the main to verify feed of fuel to the engine. Up to that point the entire flight had been conducted on the main tank with no issue. Both main and aux had in excess of 10 gallons according to the cockpit gauges. Altitude was 500 feet AGL and engine RPM was 2450. Approximately 2 minutes after switching to the aux tank the engine missed much like if the mags were switched off then immediately back on. I immediately turned the boost pump on and selected the main tank and proceeded straight towards the intended landing site, 45MS which was within eyesight. 30 seconds to 45 seconds later, the engine without any warning ceased operation. Best description is the engine went immediately from 2450 RPM to no power. I attempted a restart with the boost pump on and throttle fully open however the engine did not start. Mixture was set at rull rich never adjusted at any time during the flight. I selected a landing site in a farm field that had been cleared of the crop last fall as it appeared the aircraft glide path would be short of landing at 45MS. The trajectory of the path gave me concern that I possibly could touchdown or roll into an area of deep ditches that was between my position and the north end of the 36/18 runway at 45MS. At approximately a height of 10 feet AGL I did a full stall landing followed by a roll out. As I rolled into a softer portion of the field the main wheels bogged down in mud. The aircraft tail then raised up on the mains and proceeded to go over. I learned later that day from the farm manager that the field had been double chiseled plowed after harvest and there had been recent rains, a combination that made the field soft underfoot.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT STATED:
THE AIRCRAFT'S ENGINE CEASED OPERATION AS I WAS RETURNING TO BOX FIELD 45MS FOR LANDING AFTER A FLIGHT OF APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR FOR VERIFICATION OF AIRCRAFT PERFORMANCE, SYSTEMS AND NAVIGATION EQUIPMENT FOLLOWED BY A FULL STOP LANDING AT KIDL (INDIANOLA MS. MUNICIPAL AIRPORT). ILD IS 8 NM FROM BOX FIELD.
BETWEEN 45MS AND IDL, FUEL SELECTOR WAS MOVED TO AUX TANK FROM THE MAIN TO VERIFY FEED OF FUEL TO THE ENGINE. UP TO THAT POINT THE ENTIRE FLIGHT HAD BEEN CONDUCTED ON THE MAIN TANK WITH NO ISSUE. BOTH MAIN AND AUX HAD IN EXCESS OF 10 GALLONS ACCORDING TO THE COCKPIT GAUGES. ALTITUDE WAS 500 FEET AGL AND ENGINE RPM WAS 2450. APPROXIMATELY 2 MINUTES AFTER SWITCHING TO THE AUX TANK THE ENGINE MISSED MUCH LIKE IF THE MAGS WERE SWITCHED OFF THEN IMMEDIATELY BACK ON. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED THE BOOST PUMP ON AND SELECTED THE MAIN TANK AND PROCEEDED STRAIGHT TOWARDS THE INTENDED LANDING SITE, 45MS WHICH WAS WITHIN EYESIGHT. 30 SECONDS TO 45 SECONDS LATER, THE ENGINE WITHOUT ANY WARNING CEASED OPERATION. BEST DESCRIPTION IS THE ENGINE WENT IMMEDIATELY FROM 2450 RPM TO NO POWER. I ATTEMPTED A RESTART WITH THE BOOST PUMP ON AND THROTTLE FULLY OPEN HOWEVER THE ENGINE DID NOT START. MIXTURE WAS SET AT RULL RICH NEVER ADJUSTED AT ANY TIME DURING THE FLIGHT. I SELECTED A LANDING SITE IN A FARM FIELD THAT HAD BEEN CLEARED OF THE CROP LAST FALL AS IT APPEARED THE AIRCRAFT GLIDE PATH WOULD BE SHORT OF LANDING AT 45MS. THE TRAJECTORY OF THE PATH GAVE ME CONCERN THAT I POSSIBLY COULD TOUCHDOWN OR ROLL INTO AN AREA OF DEEP DITCHES THAT WAS BETWEEN MY POSITION AND THE NORTH END OF THE 36/18 RUNWAY AT 45MS. AT APPROXIMATELY A HEIGHT OF 10 FEET AGL I DID A FULL STALL LANDING FOLLOWED BY A ROLL OUT. AS I ROLLED INTO A SOFTER PORTION OF THE FIELD THE MAIN WHEELS BOGGED DOWN IN MUD. THE AIRCRAFT TAIL THEN RAISED UP ON THE MAINS AND PROCEEDED TO GO OVER. I LEARNED LATER THAT DAY FROM THE FARM MANAGER THAT THE FIELD HAD BEEN DOUBLE CHISELED PLOWED AFTER HARVEST AND THERE HAD BEEN RECENT RAINS, A COMBINATION THAT MADE THE FIELD SOFT UNDERFOOT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.