Flight Crew Private
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 12.1; Flight Crew Total 826; Flight Crew Type 78.7
Training / Qualification
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Fuel Issue; Inflight Event / Encounter Unstabilized Approach
Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Flight Crew Returned To Departure Airport; General Maintenance Action
Aircraft; Procedure
I returned to ZZZ; from a flight in the local area. The landing was routine and I asked the Tower for a taxi back for pattern work.I taxied back to Runway XXR; took off and flew a normal right hand pattern; but was high on final approach and elected to go around. At approximately 900 feet AGL the engine lost power completely.I immediately lowered the nose; went to best glide of 80 mph and advised the Tower. I initiated a right turn to avoid a housing subdivision that lies just beyond a grove off the end of the runway; intending to land in the grove or; if possible; in an open area just north and east of it. I added carb heat and switched fuel tanks from the right tank to the left tank. It became clear that I had enough altitude to reach the airport boundary so I continued the turn and lined up for [Runway] XYL. Altitude was sufficient to reach the runway threshold. The engine regained power just before we touched down. I had practiced this scenario many times at altitude and knew that 900 feet of altitude would most likely enable a return to the runway depending upon wind conditions. This was even more likely in this case because the wind was from the northwest and helped push the aircraft back towards the runway due to the right-hand pattern. In addition; I had reached 900 feet much closer to the end of the runway than usual due to the go-around. I likely would not have made the runway from a normal ground-level takeoff as I would have been farther away from the end of the runway by the time I reached 900 feet AGL.The aircraft has two 20 gallon fuel tanks with 18 gallons usable in each tank. The aircraft was fueled after landing and took 15.5 gallons in the right tank and 13.8 gallons in the left tank. The right tank was the most-full tank when configuring for arrival from my local flight; but the left tank would have been the most full tank after the first landing.This occurrence was most likely caused by the fuel intake port in the right tank un-porting due to the deck angle of the climb on the go-around. No issues were found with the fuel system by the maintenance shop.It could have been prevented by using the most full tank during the go-around or refueling before starting pattern work.
Pilot reported fuel starvation caused loss of power and an immediate landing.