Cessna 310 Pilot Ran Out Of Gas 13 Miles Short Of Hilo

A 65-year-old man delivering a Cessna 310 to Hawaii was forced to ditch the airplane in the Pacific Ocean 13 miles short of the coast of Hilo on Friday when he ran out of fuel.

Capture From USCG Video

The delivery pilot alerted ATC about 500 miles off the coast that he was running short of fuel.

A Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules airplane from Air Station Barbers Point assisted the pilot during the process of ditching his aircraft. The Hercules aircrew maintained communications with the pilot during the ditching process and vectored a Coast Guard MH-65 Dolphin helicopter and the Coast Guard Cutter Kiska to the scene.

The pilot ditched his airplane at approximately 1723 local time and climbed out of the cockpit onto the wing.

The Dolphin aircrew deployed a rescue swimmer to pick up the pilot. The rescue swimmer hoisted the pilot into the Dolphin and the aircrew transported him to Hilo Medical Center. He was reported to be coherent with no significant injuries.

The FAA contacted Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu at 1230  to inform the Coast Guard that a 65-year-old male, piloting the Cessna from Monterey, Calif., to Hilo, Hawaii was 500 miles away from land and was running low on fuel. The pilot estimated he would run out of fuel 100 miles east of Hilo. He made it to within 13 miles before exhausting his fuel and ditching his the plane in the ocean.

FMI: www.uscg.mil