A C170 ON INITIAL CLB AT 1000 FT EXPERIENCES LOSS OF PWR AND MAKES AN OFF ARPT LNDG CAUSED BY FUEL STARVATION.

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ON MAY/XA/00 WHILE DEPARTING FROM CULPEPER REGIONAL ARPT; VA; DURING CLB AND RIGHT BEFORE INITIATING DEP TURN FROM ARPT PATTERN; THE ENG LOST PWR MOMENTARILY THEN GAINED PWR BRIEFLY. BEFORE LOSING IT AGAIN; I (PLT) IMMEDIATELY CHKED SELECTOR; WHICH WAS SET TO BOTH TANKS; AND CHKED MIXTURE WHICH WAS FULL RICH. ENG LOST PWR AGAIN AND PLT PUMPED THROTTLE WHICH RESULTED IN MOMENTARY INCREASE UNTIL ENG STOPPED COMPLETELY. PLT HAD MADE INITIAL TURN BACK TO ARPT BUT WHEN PWR WAS LOST COMPLETELY HE DIDN'T THINK IT WOULD BE ADVISABLE TO ATTEMPT LNDG THERE. HE QUICKLY LOCATED A FIELD ABOUT 1 MI TO THE SE OF THE ARPT AND WAS ABLE TO EFFECT A SAFE LNDG WHICH RESULTED IN NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT OR PVT PROPERTY. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE ENG FAILURE WAS DUE TO LACK OF FUEL. THE NEXT DAY; AFTER FUEL HAD BEEN PLACED IN THE TANKS; THE PLT WAS ABLE TO FLY THE PLANE FROM THE FIELD AND RETURN TO THE ARPT. DURING THE INSPECTION IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT REPAIRS TO THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE NEEDED TO BE DONE. IN ORDER TO MAKE THOSE REPAIRS; IT WAS NECESSARY FOR ALL THE FUEL TO BE DRAINED FROM FUEL TANKS; WHICH IT WAS. ON THE DAY OF THE FLT WHEN PLT WAS MAKING PRECHKS; HE LOOKED AT THE GAUGES; WHICH ARE CIRCULAR; CLOCK-LIKE TYPE; AND MISREAD THEM AS BEING FULL WHEN IN REALITY THEY WERE READING EMPTY. PLT REALIZES HE SHOULD HAVE LOOKED MORE CLOSELY AND IF THERE WAS DOUBT SHOULD HAVE ASKED MECHS IF THEY HAD REPLACED THE FUEL THEY HAD DRAINED.