Incident Overview
According to the pilot's report, while in the traffic pattern to land, the pilot slipped the aircraft on downwind and again on final approach to lose altitude. The pilot stated that the right control wheel hit an attaché case on the right seat, and the approach was not satisfactory, so he elected to go around.
Engine Quits and Restarts
As the aircraft crossed the east end of the runway, the engine quit and then restarted. The pilot knew the right fuel tank was nearly empty but did not switch fuel tanks. To address the fuel situation, the pilot began a shallow right turn to ensure that the fuel in the right tank was back at the tank outlet. The engine started and quit several times.
Collision
Subsequently, the aircraft collided with trees.
Pilot's Observations
The pilot recommended making more fuel stops but reported that there were not enough places with 80 octane fuel. According to the report, the fuel supply was low enough to allow unporting of the line inlet in the tank.