What happened
A twin engine cargo airplane was preparing to enter a base leg for landing when its left engine stopped operating. During the transition from multi-engine to single-engine operations, the aircraft's airspeed dropped below the best rate of climb speed for a single-engine configuration, resulting in the start of a descent.
The pilot attempted to turn onto the base leg but found that doing so would trigger the airplane's stall warning system. Due to the low altitude, the pilot was unable to pitch the aircraft's nose down to regain sufficient airspeed. Consequently, the pilot elected to perform an emergency landing in a corn field.
The investigation
An on-scene investigation and subsequent post-accident testing were conducted to determine the cause of the engine failure. The examination revealed that the left engine's fuel pump was defective, which had caused the engine to flood.