Incident Details
An aircraft was on approach to a grass airstrip when the engine ceased operation. The pilot executed a landing short of the runway in a wheat field. During the landing, the nose gear collapsed.
Examination Findings
A subsequent examination of the aircraft revealed several discrepancies. A bird's nest was discovered inside the engine cowling. The magneto was found to be inoperative. The 'P' leads were reversed, and one spark plug was shorted. A fuel sample was taken and did not have the appearance of aviation fuel.
Additional Issues
The aircraft's log book did not contain a record of a current annual inspection at the time of the event.