On June 5, 2000, at 0905 central daylight time, an Eaton Acro Sport I, N6GE, owned and operated by the pilot, was substantially damaged during a landing attempt on runway 36 (5,011 feet by 100 feet, asphalt) at the Malden Municipal Airport (MAW), Malden, Missouri. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was not operating on a flight plan. The commercial pilot reported minor injuries. The local flight departed the Dexter Municipal Airport, Dexter, Missouri, at 0845. The pilot reported the following in a written statement, "...Approximately 15 minutes into the flight the engine began to sputter out and then suddenly quit. I switched tanks and pumped the manual "wobble" pump, the engine restarted and I gained some altitude. The engine was still running rough so I tried to make it to the nearest airport. (MAW) The engine quit and restarted several more times and finally quit completely just as I turned to try to make the runway. I ended up having to attempt landing short of the runway in a wheat field. The wheels bogged down in the wheat and I nosed over." The pilot also reported that the quick drain valve was not functioning properly. A mechanic inspected the airplane and reported finding water in the airplane's fuel system.