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