Narrative:

I had just landed after getting back from a flight and when I called in to tell company that I was back; I was told that I would be going to ZZZ. I went inside to see what I would be taking and I heard that I would have 2 passenger; luggage; and freight. I helped push carts of luggage out to the airplane and proceeded to load up the airplane; keeping in mind that I would have 2 passenger. I then remembered that I should use my tip tanks because I had just returned from a 1 hour 45 min flight. I went back inside to get my passenger and was then told that I had 4. I then had to go back outside and reload my airplane so that all 4 passenger would have a seat. After I did that; I went and got my passenger and loaded us all in the airplane. I started up; filed a flight plan; got ATIS; and taxied to the runway (I never switched fuel tanks; so it was still on the right main). I was then cleared for takeoff and I climbed to 400 ft AGL and started my r-hand turn toward a landmark (basically a right downwind departure). I continued to climb and; around 1200 ft MSL; I started to feel like I forgot something; or that something wasn't right. I was right by south tip; which is about 1 mi southwest of the runway. I continued to climb and about 1600 ft MSL (about 30 seconds later) the engine started to seize and acted like it was going to die. I immediately started to level out and turn back towards the airport as I began to do my emergency flow. At this time the passenger sitting next to me started to freak out. As I was doing my flow; I started to contact the tower. I then knew what had happened as I reached down to switch fuel tanks. About 3 seconds after switching tanks my engine came back (it had never fully died). By this time I was already turned around towards the airport; heading to the numbers; and talking to the tower. I don't believe that I declared an emergency; just that I was having engine problems and was going to come back. The tower gave me priority and by that time I told them that my engine was back. They asked if I needed any assistance when I landed. I said that wasn't necessary; but that I did want to land and return to the ramp. After landing; I taxied back to parking. I shut down and then told my passenger what had happened; and asked if they were ok. I was fine; and willing to do the flight; but our chief pilot said that we should have another pilot do it; so we switched all the luggage/freight into another airplane and he took them to ZZZ. The biggest thing that I can say that contributed to this is that I need to slow down -- even when dispatchers are pushing you to go faster and get off the ground now. Also; I was at the end of my day; on my last flight. This is the most important time to do checklists and doublechk everything. We've had a meeting with all pilots to make sure that everyone is aware of what happened and that we should all be aware that the end of the day is the most important time to take that extra min; no matter what is going on.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT'S FAILURE TO SELECT THE PA32'S FULLEST TANK FOR TKOF RESULTS IN NEAR FUEL STARVATION ON CLIMB OUT.

Narrative: I HAD JUST LANDED AFTER GETTING BACK FROM A FLT AND WHEN I CALLED IN TO TELL COMPANY THAT I WAS BACK; I WAS TOLD THAT I WOULD BE GOING TO ZZZ. I WENT INSIDE TO SEE WHAT I WOULD BE TAKING AND I HEARD THAT I WOULD HAVE 2 PAX; LUGGAGE; AND FREIGHT. I HELPED PUSH CARTS OF LUGGAGE OUT TO THE AIRPLANE AND PROCEEDED TO LOAD UP THE AIRPLANE; KEEPING IN MIND THAT I WOULD HAVE 2 PAX. I THEN REMEMBERED THAT I SHOULD USE MY TIP TANKS BECAUSE I HAD JUST RETURNED FROM A 1 HR 45 MIN FLT. I WENT BACK INSIDE TO GET MY PAX AND WAS THEN TOLD THAT I HAD 4. I THEN HAD TO GO BACK OUTSIDE AND RELOAD MY AIRPLANE SO THAT ALL 4 PAX WOULD HAVE A SEAT. AFTER I DID THAT; I WENT AND GOT MY PAX AND LOADED US ALL IN THE AIRPLANE. I STARTED UP; FILED A FLT PLAN; GOT ATIS; AND TAXIED TO THE RWY (I NEVER SWITCHED FUEL TANKS; SO IT WAS STILL ON THE R MAIN). I WAS THEN CLRED FOR TKOF AND I CLBED TO 400 FT AGL AND STARTED MY R-HAND TURN TOWARD A LANDMARK (BASICALLY A R DOWNWIND DEP). I CONTINUED TO CLB AND; AROUND 1200 FT MSL; I STARTED TO FEEL LIKE I FORGOT SOMETHING; OR THAT SOMETHING WASN'T RIGHT. I WAS RIGHT BY SOUTH TIP; WHICH IS ABOUT 1 MI SW OF THE RWY. I CONTINUED TO CLB AND ABOUT 1600 FT MSL (ABOUT 30 SECONDS LATER) THE ENG STARTED TO SEIZE AND ACTED LIKE IT WAS GOING TO DIE. I IMMEDIATELY STARTED TO LEVEL OUT AND TURN BACK TOWARDS THE ARPT AS I BEGAN TO DO MY EMER FLOW. AT THIS TIME THE PAX SITTING NEXT TO ME STARTED TO FREAK OUT. AS I WAS DOING MY FLOW; I STARTED TO CONTACT THE TWR. I THEN KNEW WHAT HAD HAPPENED AS I REACHED DOWN TO SWITCH FUEL TANKS. ABOUT 3 SECONDS AFTER SWITCHING TANKS MY ENG CAME BACK (IT HAD NEVER FULLY DIED). BY THIS TIME I WAS ALREADY TURNED AROUND TOWARDS THE ARPT; HEADING TO THE NUMBERS; AND TALKING TO THE TWR. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT I DECLARED AN EMER; JUST THAT I WAS HAVING ENG PROBS AND WAS GOING TO COME BACK. THE TWR GAVE ME PRIORITY AND BY THAT TIME I TOLD THEM THAT MY ENG WAS BACK. THEY ASKED IF I NEEDED ANY ASSISTANCE WHEN I LANDED. I SAID THAT WASN'T NECESSARY; BUT THAT I DID WANT TO LAND AND RETURN TO THE RAMP. AFTER LNDG; I TAXIED BACK TO PARKING. I SHUT DOWN AND THEN TOLD MY PAX WHAT HAD HAPPENED; AND ASKED IF THEY WERE OK. I WAS FINE; AND WILLING TO DO THE FLT; BUT OUR CHIEF PLT SAID THAT WE SHOULD HAVE ANOTHER PLT DO IT; SO WE SWITCHED ALL THE LUGGAGE/FREIGHT INTO ANOTHER AIRPLANE AND HE TOOK THEM TO ZZZ. THE BIGGEST THING THAT I CAN SAY THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THIS IS THAT I NEED TO SLOW DOWN -- EVEN WHEN DISPATCHERS ARE PUSHING YOU TO GO FASTER AND GET OFF THE GND NOW. ALSO; I WAS AT THE END OF MY DAY; ON MY LAST FLT. THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT TIME TO DO CHKLISTS AND DOUBLECHK EVERYTHING. WE'VE HAD A MEETING WITH ALL PLTS TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE IS AWARE OF WHAT HAPPENED AND THAT WE SHOULD ALL BE AWARE THAT THE END OF THE DAY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT TIME TO TAKE THAT EXTRA MIN; NO MATTER WHAT IS GOING ON.

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.