Man ditches plane into ocean off coast of Hawaii after running out of gas

(Thank you, Frank at 160knots.com for sharing the following article with our readers.  Greatly appreciated, Frank!)

From Greg Morrison, CNN

updated 1:49 AM EST, Sat October 8, 2011

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• New: The pilot ditches the plane in the ocean, climbs out through the cockpit and onto wing
• A man flying a Cessna to Hawaii alerts authorities 500 miles out that he is low on fuel and will have to ditch
• Coast Guard rescue crews try to coach the pilot to a safe landing, the officials say
• The plane is owned by American King of South Carolina, an aircraft ferry service

(CNN) -- A 65-year-old man flying from California to Hawaii was forced to ditch his plane in the Pacific Ocean on Friday night 13 miles off the coast of Hilo after running out of gas, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

The man was flying a Cessna 310 twin-engine aircraft from Monterey, California, to Hilo when he radioed federal aviation authorities that he was 500 miles out and low on fuel, said Petty Officer 3rd Class Angela Henderson, a spokeswoman for the Coast Guard.

He estimated he would run out of fuel 100 miles short of the island, according to a Coast Guard statement.

The Coast Guard deployed rescue crews aboard a C-130 Hercules and an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter to intercept the pilot and escort his plane with the hope of coaching him to a safe landing, said Coast Guard Lt. Gene Maestas.

But the plane ran out of fuel, they said.

"The pilot ditched his airplane at approximately 5:23 p.m. and climbed out of the cockpit onto the wing," the Coast Guard said in a statement.

The rescue crews pulled the pilot out of the water and transported him to Hilo Medical Center for evaluation, Henderson said.

"He was reported to be coherent with no significant injuries," the statement said.

Authorities did not immediately release the identity of the man, though the aircraft was registered to American King Air of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, an airplane ferry service.

"We are waiting right now to hear from the Coast Guard about the aircraft," Pablo Bassabe, a company vice president, told CNN.

From Greg Morrison, CNN