Replica Blue Angels plane makes emergency landing

ST. GEORGE, Utah (AP) - A private pilot is safe after a plane painted to look like a U.S. Navy Blue Angel aircraft made a textbook emergency landing at the St. George Municipal Airport.

Airport officials say the runway had been coated with a fire retardant foam and an ambulance crew was called to the scene before the plane touched down Friday.

The real Blue Angels performance squad is scheduled to appear in the Thunder Over Utah Air Show in March. Show spokesman Herb Gillen tells The Spectrum that the vintage T-33 plane was set to be part of a static display but wouldn't be flying.

Gillen says the pilot in the Friday incident is a civilian.

Crews were using a crane Friday afternoon to remove the plane from the runway.

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Information from: The Spectrum, http://www.thespectrum.com

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