A small aircraft has been forced to make a crash landing in a field in Fife with emergency services racing to the response.
Fire teams were among those who rushed to a field outside of Kinglassie, two miles south-west of Glenrothes, shortly before 11am after the small plane went down. Images shared on social media showed the silver-coloured two-seat craft in a field, surrounded by people.
The canopy of the plane was seen to be open and the cockpit empty, suggesting that the occupants had been safely removed after the crash. No reports of injuries are available but eyewitnesses suggested that the pilot had been able to climb out of the vehicle himself. However, the tail has been heavily damaged as a result of the incident.
David McKay, of car delivery business Fife Vehicle Transport, said the plane appeared to do a "somersault" before crashing in a field north of the village, alarming him and his workmates as they drove to Glenrothes. He and his colleagues rushed to the scene to help.
He said: "I said to the boys, 'that's a plane just crashed' - they hadn't even noticed. We went straight up the road to the field to help.
"The boy was out of the plane and a bit shaken up. I stayed with him while he called the police and until they showed up.
"He said the lid had popped open or something and he lost pressure. At the end of the day he's here to tell the tale. That's the main thing."
Air records identify it as a Zenair CH-601UL Zodiac - a small propeller aircraft. Flightpath data for the plane was not immediately available, though recent records suggest it was out as recently as Saturday over the Kingdom.
Police are diverting traffic away from the village after the crash. Fife Airport is immediately next to Kinglassie, but it is not known whether the plane was landing or taking off at the time of the incident.
A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: "We can confirm we are in the area responding to an incident, after receiving a call at 10.57am."
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "Officers were called to reports of a light aircraft crashing in a field near Kinglassie at around 10.55am on Monday, 1 August, 2022.
“There have been no reported injuries. Emergency services are at the scene to clear the area.”
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch has opened an enquiry into the crash. A spokesperson said: "The AAIB has been notified and an investigation has been opened."
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