Jan. 26--The pilot of a single-engine plane from Tracy, Calif., ran out of fuel over the Pacific Ocean as he was headed to Maui on Sunday, officials said.
The pilot was rescued and in good condition after ditching his Cirrus SR-22 aircraft 253 miles northeast of Maui, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
Video shows the parachute burst from the plane, causing the plane to point nose down toward the water before righting.
The unidentified pilot flew out of Tracy and was planning to land in Kahului, Maui. At about 12:30 p.m., after noticing his aircraft had only three hours of fuel left, he notified the Hawaii National Guard that he was abandoning his aircraft.
Assisted by the Coast Guard plane, he deployed the plane's parachute system and landed in the sea.
The pilot got out of the plane and inflated a life raft. As the plane rolled to one side and partially submerged, he floated free of the craft.
The pilot remained floating in the ocean until the Coast Guard Joint Rescue Coordination Center's was able to find a ship close enough to rescue him.
Crew from the cruise ship Veendam finally spotted the pilot and pulled him to safety.
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