TOWANDA -- A single-engine plane apparently ran out of gas mid-flight Friday afternoon, and the pilot landed safely on a gravel road near Towanda.

No injuries were reported.

The McLean County Sheriff's Department identified the pilot as Craig A. Husch of Bourbonnais; he was flying alone.

The Cessna clipped a few tree limbs and turned into a ditch to avoid an oncoming vehicle on the road, said Sheriff's Lt. Carl Boyd. The aircraft stopped near a driveway leading to a home at 20502 E. McLean County 1800 North Road.

When emergency crews arrived, Husch already had exited the plane and was walking around it, said Boyd.

The 1967 Cessna is co-owned by the pilot and Dennis W. Husch of Manteno, according to Federal Aviation Administration records. Neither man had a public phone listing available.

The pilot reportedly was in contact with Central Illinois Regional Airport in Bloomington during his flight, and alerted them to the problem. A message left with a CIRA spokeswoman was not immediately returned.

Just before 1 p.m., the Cessna was traveling southwest when it landed on 1800 North Road, also known as Northtown Road. The site is about a mile north of Normal Community High School.

Shortly after, a sheriff's deputy arrived. Normal police and Bloomington and Towanda firefighters arrived soon after.

At one point, as emergency workers waited with the pilot for FAA officials, a woman and young boy walked from the nearby home to give the pilot a cold drink.

When the alert first was broadcast on emergency radio channels, the only information provided was that an aircraft was going down about 5 miles north of the regional airport.

Had the incident involved a major crash, responders would have been ready.

The McLean County Disaster Council plans responses to disasters that would result in mass casualties, such as severe weather, influenza pandemic or an airplane crash, said Mark Lareau, a council member and emergency disaster preparedness manager at BroMenn Regional Medical Center, Normal.

Police, fire departments, emergency management, the hospitals and health department are among those involved in annual drills, Lareau said. An airplane crash exercise happens once every three years.

Hospital planning includes calling in additional staff and having extra supplies and beds available in case of mass casualties.

"This is something we train for," Lareau said.

Reporters Paul Swiech and Ryan Denham contributed to this story.