N8600LPiper PA-25-235 · 1969

The pilot reported that he was returning to the airport after an aerial application. While turning from base to final, the engine lost power due to fuel exhaustion. The pilot force-landed the airplane in a field; however, the field had been flood irrigated and the airplane nosed-over. The pilot reported that usually he fuels the airplane to the same mark and then writes down the tachometer time. He felt that he may not have fueled to the mark and/or he spent more time on the field than he anticipated. There were no mechanical anomalies reported.