What happened
The pilot was conducting a local area flight when, after approximately 1.6 hours of flight at 1,200 feet AGL, the fuel selector was moved from the left tank to the right tank. Following this change, the engine began to lose power and run roughly. After emergency procedures failed to resolve the engine issues, the pilot chose an open field for a precautionary landing.
Because the terrain was soft, the airplane nosed over during the landing roll. During the subsequent recovery of the aircraft, it was turned over onto its landing gear. The pilot was not injured.
At the time of the accident, weather conditions consisted of light rain and broken clouds at 1,500 feet AGL.
The investigation
An examination of the fuel tanks by recovery personnel revealed approximately 1 1/2 cups of water in the right fuel tank. Notably, no water was detected in the carburetor or the gascolator. Following the replacement of the propeller, the engine was started and successfully developed 2,700 RPM.