Accident Overview
During an aerial application of chemicals, the pilot of an agricultural airplane reported that the radial engine began to experience abnormal behavior, including "cough and pop" sounds. Shortly thereafter, the engine lost power. The pilot initiated an emergency landing and set the airplane down in a flooded rice field. Upon contact with the terrain, the aircraft nosed over and came to rest in an inverted position. The pilot, who held 27,940 hours of total flight time, was the sole occupant.
Aircraft Examination
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector examined the aircraft following the accident. The inspection identified that the number four cylinder on the radial engine was cracked at the barrel. No other mechanical anomalies were reported in the source documentation.
Impact and Damage
The airplane sustained structural damage as a result of the nose-over and inverted landing. Specific details regarding the extent of damage were not provided in the source. The flooded rice field environment likely contributed to the aircraft coming to rest in an inverted attitude.