Incident Details
During a local sightseeing flight, the pilot experienced a loss of engine power while crossing over the airport at midfield, heading eastbound at 2,000 feet. Attempts to contact the air traffic control tower were unsuccessful due to frequency congestion. After the power loss, the pilot turned back toward the airport and declared an emergency, requesting clearance to land. The tower cleared the pilot to land on runway 31R.
Flight Sequence
The pilot entered a short final approach below 1,000 feet and turned to the right toward the end of the runway at an altitude of 500 feet or less. The turn to final for 31R was overshot, and the pilot felt the airplane stall while in a steep turn. Concluding that the runway could not be reached, the pilot directed the airplane toward a grass field near the end of the runway. The speed was reduced to 60 knots, and the airplane touched down hard in the uneven field, skidding across a road.
Post-Landing Inspection
Airport operations personnel inspected the fuel tanks and found that the right tank was dry and the left tank contained several gallons. The pilot reported that he forgot to switch the fuel tanks from the right to the left prior to landing.