Narrative:

A friend let me fly his supercub on floats. It had been a nice day so I decided to go for a flight. I was just going to fly around the valley and return. This was the 3RD time I had flown his plane. The cockpit was different than my supercub which was on tundra tires. I reviewed the cockpit again; finding everything I needed to start the airplane. There was no checklist. I warmed up the plane and did my run-up. I took off the lake and flew north. I did a couple of touch and goes on different lakes and headed back home. I was coming in for a long final; when I remembered the subdivision on the corner of the northwest end of the lake. The people living there had been complaining of the noise so I diverted to the east and started to set up for final landing to the south on the lake. I pulled the power back; I was about 800 ft and the engine started to sputter so I gave it a little power but it continued. So I looked at the lake; had my GS; glanced inside the cockpit; my l-hand searching for something while I kept looking at the lake. Realizing I was not going to make the lake I looked for somewhere else to land because I was headed for the trees. There was a gravel pit to the left and then a swamp to the right. I banked the plane to the left and then gradually started to bank to the right turning the plane. I put on one notch of flaps; lined the plane up with the swamp. I was coming up to the end of the swamp so I put on full flaps and landed smoothly on the grass. There was no bump or jar. I sat in the plane; collected myself; got out of the plane; started to wonder what went wrong. Got back up on the plane started to review the cockpit. Realized the fuel selector switch was on the left tank; looked up at left tank fuel gauge and it was empty. Right fuel tank was full. I was not proud of myself at all. I always considered my pilot's licenses a privilege; something I was proud of. This day proved that I was an incompetent pilot. Errors made: always carry a checklist. If you're in a supercub with right and left selector switch and not a both selector always use fullest tank. Never fly until you check your fuel. Always review the cockpit and go over the emergency procedure especially when you're not in your own plane. Always do the gump procedure before you're on final. When on final always have plenty of altitude so if you have to divert from course you will still be able to land. I was blessed on this day with no injuries to the plane or myself. I have learned many important lessons and will strive to be a more responsible pilot in the future.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA18 PLT FLYING A FLOAT EQUIPPED ACFT SUFFERS FUEL STARVATION ON APCH TO LNDG. LANDS SAFELY IN SWAMPY AREA SHORT OF THE LAKE OF INTENDED LNDG.

Narrative: A FRIEND LET ME FLY HIS SUPERCUB ON FLOATS. IT HAD BEEN A NICE DAY SO I DECIDED TO GO FOR A FLT. I WAS JUST GOING TO FLY AROUND THE VALLEY AND RETURN. THIS WAS THE 3RD TIME I HAD FLOWN HIS PLANE. THE COCKPIT WAS DIFFERENT THAN MY SUPERCUB WHICH WAS ON TUNDRA TIRES. I REVIEWED THE COCKPIT AGAIN; FINDING EVERYTHING I NEEDED TO START THE AIRPLANE. THERE WAS NO CHKLIST. I WARMED UP THE PLANE AND DID MY RUN-UP. I TOOK OFF THE LAKE AND FLEW N. I DID A COUPLE OF TOUCH AND GOES ON DIFFERENT LAKES AND HEADED BACK HOME. I WAS COMING IN FOR A LONG FINAL; WHEN I REMEMBERED THE SUBDIVISION ON THE CORNER OF THE NW END OF THE LAKE. THE PEOPLE LIVING THERE HAD BEEN COMPLAINING OF THE NOISE SO I DIVERTED TO THE E AND STARTED TO SET UP FOR FINAL LNDG TO THE S ON THE LAKE. I PULLED THE PWR BACK; I WAS ABOUT 800 FT AND THE ENG STARTED TO SPUTTER SO I GAVE IT A LITTLE PWR BUT IT CONTINUED. SO I LOOKED AT THE LAKE; HAD MY GS; GLANCED INSIDE THE COCKPIT; MY L-HAND SEARCHING FOR SOMETHING WHILE I KEPT LOOKING AT THE LAKE. REALIZING I WAS NOT GOING TO MAKE THE LAKE I LOOKED FOR SOMEWHERE ELSE TO LAND BECAUSE I WAS HEADED FOR THE TREES. THERE WAS A GRAVEL PIT TO THE L AND THEN A SWAMP TO THE R. I BANKED THE PLANE TO THE L AND THEN GRADUALLY STARTED TO BANK TO THE R TURNING THE PLANE. I PUT ON ONE NOTCH OF FLAPS; LINED THE PLANE UP WITH THE SWAMP. I WAS COMING UP TO THE END OF THE SWAMP SO I PUT ON FULL FLAPS AND LANDED SMOOTHLY ON THE GRASS. THERE WAS NO BUMP OR JAR. I SAT IN THE PLANE; COLLECTED MYSELF; GOT OUT OF THE PLANE; STARTED TO WONDER WHAT WENT WRONG. GOT BACK UP ON THE PLANE STARTED TO REVIEW THE COCKPIT. REALIZED THE FUEL SELECTOR SWITCH WAS ON THE L TANK; LOOKED UP AT L TANK FUEL GAUGE AND IT WAS EMPTY. R FUEL TANK WAS FULL. I WAS NOT PROUD OF MYSELF AT ALL. I ALWAYS CONSIDERED MY PLT'S LICENSES A PRIVILEGE; SOMETHING I WAS PROUD OF. THIS DAY PROVED THAT I WAS AN INCOMPETENT PLT. ERRORS MADE: ALWAYS CARRY A CHKLIST. IF YOU'RE IN A SUPERCUB WITH R AND L SELECTOR SWITCH AND NOT A BOTH SELECTOR ALWAYS USE FULLEST TANK. NEVER FLY UNTIL YOU CHK YOUR FUEL. ALWAYS REVIEW THE COCKPIT AND GO OVER THE EMER PROC ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE NOT IN YOUR OWN PLANE. ALWAYS DO THE GUMP PROC BEFORE YOU'RE ON FINAL. WHEN ON FINAL ALWAYS HAVE PLENTY OF ALT SO IF YOU HAVE TO DIVERT FROM COURSE YOU WILL STILL BE ABLE TO LAND. I WAS BLESSED ON THIS DAY WITH NO INJURIES TO THE PLANE OR MYSELF. I HAVE LEARNED MANY IMPORTANT LESSONS AND WILL STRIVE TO BE A MORE RESPONSIBLE PLT IN THE FUTURE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.