COTO DE CAZA : Pilot Runs Out of Gas, Lands Safely

Lance Cpl. Gerimie Meier learned his most important flying lesson ever Thursday afternoon in his quest to gain a private pilot’s license when his plane ran out of gas, forcing him to make an emergency landing.

Meier was not injured in the 3:33 p.m. incident and the plane suffered no damage.

The trouble began when Meier was flying at about 2,500 feet during the last leg of a 4 1/2-hour solo flight when he realized the 24-gallon tank on his two-seat Cessna 152 was running out of fuel.

Once he realized he was in trouble, Meier began scanning the terrain for a place to land. He radioed the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station tower for help, which sent a single crash crew to the scene.

The Orange County Fire Department, the Sheriff’s Department and California Highway Patrol also responded to the scene.

However, the emergency crews proved unnecessary as Meier was able to land safely on a dirt road in the middle of the unpopulated south ranch area of Coto de Caza--one mile south of the Coto de Caza Golf & Racquet Club.

“It wasn’t bad,” Meier said. “I just did the soft field landing thing they taught me.”

Meier said he had started his flight about 11:15 a.m. and should have had enough fuel to make it back to the Marine base. He said he was not sure why the tank ran dry so soon.

“It just ran out of gas,” said the member of the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station Aero Club.

Meier said he has logged about 38 hours of flying time toward his pilot’s license, which requires a minimum of 40 hours of flying time.

But after his recent mishap, Meier said jokingly that his minimum requirements to qualify for a license would “probably be a lot more now.”

The plane was not damaged during the emergency landing.

Investigators from the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the incident, a Sheriff’s Department spokesman said.