Incident
During a return flight from an aerial application, the pilot was turning from base leg to final approach when the engine lost power. The loss of power was attributed to fuel exhaustion.
Pilot Actions
The pilot executed a forced landing in a field. The field had recently been flood irrigated, resulting in soft ground that caused the airplane to nose over upon landing.
Pilot Report
The pilot reported that his usual routine is to fuel the airplane to a specific mark and record the tachometer time. He indicated that he may not have filled the fuel to that mark on this occasion, or that he spent more time on the application field than anticipated, leading to insufficient fuel for the return flight.
Mechanical Condition
No mechanical anomalies were reported with the airplane after the incident.