Incident Overview
While descending toward the airport, following the egress of four parachute jumpers, the engine lost all power. The pilot determined that insufficient altitude remained to glide to the airport and elected to land in an area containing rice paddies.
Landing and Examination
During the touchdown, the aircraft encountered a dike and nosed over. An examination revealed that some fuel remained in the fuel tanks. Approximately one pint of fuel was drained from the firewall fuel strainer. No water was found in the fuel system.
Weather Conditions
Approximately 25 miles south, at Merced, California, the temperature was 87 degrees Fahrenheit and the dew point was 50 degrees Fahrenheit. According to icing probability charts (ICG), carburetor icing would have been possible at glide power; however, icing was not verified.