What happened
During cruise flight, the pilot of a Cessna (type not specified) intentionally allowed the left fuel tank to run empty as part of an attempt to determine the aircraft's fuel endurance. This action resulted in the engine losing power. The pilot subsequently switched to the full right fuel tank and successfully restarted the engine.
The engine operated without further incident for approximately 10 minutes before it began to lose power again. The pilot was unable to fully restore power, and the engine eventually lost all power completely. This led to a forced landing in a wooded area. The aircraft sustained structural damage to the wings and fuselage. Due to the remote location of the accident site, the aircraft has not been recovered.
Findings
The pilot, who is also a certified aviation mechanic, stated that he did not know the reason why the engine lost power during the second instance.