Incident Overview
A pilot reported that during a spraying operation, he landed to refuel and reload chemical. While the chemicals were being loaded, he became distracted by a conversation with the customer he was spraying for and subsequently forgot to refuel the aircraft.
Flight and Engine Behavior
During takeoff, the left fuel gauge indicated empty, and the right fuel gauge showed between 1/4 and 1/2. After flying to the field, approximately 4 miles from the airport, and completing two swath runs, the engine began to surge. The pilot turned toward the field for a landing, at which point the engine regained power, surged again, and then quit. The pilot executed a pancake landing in the field.
Postcrash Examination
Following the accident, an FAA inspector examined the airplane and found that it contained no usable fuel.