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SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah pilot walked away uninjured after the engines went out on his experimental aircraft Wednesday and he was forced to make an emergency landing near Saltair.
Britt Reed, a pilot for 33 years, said he was able to put the plane down safely in some mud on the banks of the Great Salt Lake. It was his first emergency landing.
"It was random luck there were no obstacles in the way," he said.
Reed was flying at about 5,500 feet when the plane began to shudder violently, he said.
Salt Lake City International Airport spokeswoman Barbara Gann said Reed contacted the airport by radio to report engine trouble before losing communication.
Reed put the plane down smoothly about 4:15 p.m. and walked away unharmed.
Officers on scene reported that Reed was attempting a flight from Salt Lake City to Tooele. He was flying a small open-cockpit aircraft.
Contributing: Jed Boal
Email:mromero@deseretnews.com
