What happened
The flight was conducted for the specific purpose of practicing an aerobatic routine. The planned sequence required the engine to be secured at an altitude of 5000 feet, followed by the execution of various maneuvers, and concluding with a dead stick landing.
According to the pilot's report, the routine proceeded normally until the aircraft approached the runway on short final approach. At this stage, the pilot determined that the aircraft was positioned too high and traveling too fast to execute a safe landing within the available runway distance. To avoid overrunning the runway, the pilot elected to jump the aircraft over a levy and land in an adjacent rice field.
The investigation
The investigation relied primarily on the pilot's statement regarding the sequence of events. No mechanical examination or physical evidence from the crash site was detailed in the provided source text.
Findings
The primary factor leading to the incident was the aircraft's excessive altitude and airspeed during the final approach phase of the aerobatic practice. The inability to correct this energy state within the runway limits necessitated an off-airport landing.