Pilot Lands By The Wheat Of His Pants

Garry McCoy had a big problem making it to his grandson’s first birthday party Tuesday.

The McMinnville, Ore., resident ran out of gas while piloting a single-engine plane above Five Mile Road.

McCoy had planned to arrive from Oregon early to buy a gift before the 4 p.m. celebration.

He was forced to land in the middle of a wheat field about a quarter-mile east of Five Mile Road near Hawthorne Road.

“The engine quit,” said a nonchalant McCoy, 47. “The gauges still showed I had a quarter of a tank.”

McCoy landed the borrowed Cessna 150 about a mile away from where the plane had run out of fuel.

“I saw it go down,” said Robert Thomas, who called 911 from his house across the road. “I was doing dishes. He was awful low. Then he had a dip, he hit the ground, and a big cloud of dust and a big Hi-O-Silver.”

McCoy landed the plane along the furrows of Willie Forsgreen’s 160-acre wheat field. McCoy walked away. The plane was fine, too.

“He bounced a little bit,” said deputy Mike Boyington of the county Sheriff’s Department. “But he’s safe. That means he did a good job.”

Boyington, himself a pilot, then checked the fuel levels. Both tanks were near dry.

Then came the hard part - getting McCoy back in the air to Mead Airport, where he could meet his family. Gas was a problem. Taking off was a problem.

Forsgreen drove a tractor out to the plane and tied a rope to the plane’s front wheel. “I assume no responsibility for towing,” said Forsgreen, grinning.

The towing went off without a hitch. Forsgreen pulled the plane over to one side of the field so it had enough room to take off. McCoy steered.

The plane fuel arrived, and McCoy was off to meet his family.

“My wife’s going to be upset with me,” said McCoy, shaking his head. “The last time I landed in a field, we had to mow the field to get out.”