What happened
The pilot departed to conduct a survey flight of timber property. At the time of departure, the aircraft contained 10 gallons of fuel in the right tank and 15 gallons of fuel in the left tank.
Approximately five minutes into the flight, the pilot moved the fuel selector valve from the both position to the right position. The flight continued for about 45 minutes with the fuel selector remaining on the right tank. While performing a right turn, the engine suffered a total loss of power.
Safety message
The pilot noted that the accident could have been prevented through better management of the fuel system, specifically by switching to the other tank or using the boost pump after the engine quit, or by simply maintaining the selector on both tanks for the duration of the flight.