Incident
During a personal flight at an altitude of approximately 3,000 feet above ground level, the aircraft's engine experienced a complete power loss. The pilot executed a successful emergency landing in a farm hay field, which resulted in no damage to the aircraft. Shortly after landing, smoke was observed emanating from the engine compartment. A fire erupted in the engine compartment, and attempts to extinguish it were unsuccessful. The fire was eventually extinguished by the local fire department upon their arrival.
Damage
The aircraft sustained substantial damage before the fire department arrived and extinguished the fire. The initial emergency landing itself caused no damage.
Post-Accident Investigation
A post-accident investigation revealed a burned-through area on the exhaust muffler near the carburetor. The heat from this burned-through area was directed onto the carburetor, causing failure of the carburetor and subsequent engine fire.