Background
The pilot reported that the flight commenced with minimum fuel. The left wing fuel tank contained an estimated 2 to 3 gallons of fuel, while the right wing tank was being depleted. The pilot was aware that the right tank was nearly empty.
Pilot Actions
As the right tank approached exhaustion, the pilot kept one hand on the fuel tank selector valve, intending to switch to the left tank at the first sign of fuel deprivation. The engine sputtered, and the pilot switched the fuel selector to the left tank. The engine restarted and ran for approximately 45 seconds to one minute, then began sputtering again.
Emergency Landing
When it became clear that the engine would not restart, the pilot executed an off-airport emergency landing on the tundra. The landing resulted in substantial damage to the airplane.
Pilot's Assessment
The pilot commented that the loss of engine power may have been due to the engine ingesting sludge from the bottom of the right wing fuel tank. The pilot noted that the right wing tank had never been removed from the airplane since its construction in 1957.