Flight Details
The purpose of the flight was to fly to a nearby airport, practice touch-and-go landings, and return. The pilot anticipated the local flight to last about one hour.
Preflight Fuel Inspection
During the preflight, the pilot inspected the fuel and noted the following levels: the left main tank was 'down quite a bit', the left auxiliary tank was 'down some', the right main tank was 'down slightly', and the right auxiliary tank was full. He recalled that during his previous flight the week before, he had switched from using the left main tank to the right main tank and flew for about 30 minutes on the right main tank. The pilot reported that he did not have access to a fuel tank on the field, so he did not top off the fuel tanks.
Accident Sequence
After departure, the pilot flew to the nearby airport and made three or four full-stop landings. While on the return flight, the engine lost power, and the pilot was forced to land in heavily wooded terrain.
Wreckage Examination
An FAA inspector examined the wreckage at the accident site. The left and right main fuel tanks were empty. The left auxiliary tank was between half and three-quarters full, and the right auxiliary fuel tank was full. The fuel selector handle was found in the 'fuel off' position.