Pilot hurt as glider crash lands

The man is being treated in hospital in Dunfermline

A glider pilot has been taken to hospital after his aircraft crashed into a field in central Fife.

The plane was reported to have hit an overhead power cable and came down in a field near the village of Thornton, outside Glenrothes, on Wednesday.

The 44-year-old man has been taken to the Queen Margaret Hospital, in Dunfermline, and was said to be suffering from back and head injuries.

The aircraft had been launched from the gliding centre at Portmoak.

A Fife Constabulary spokesman said: "The accident happened at 1315 BST while the aircraft was attempting to land."

Keith Auchterlonie, communications officer for the British Gliding Association and member of the Scottish Gliding Centre at Portmoak Airfield, said: "A glider was landing into a field, which in itself is a perfectly common occurrence.

There are risks involved and we are very aware of what those risks are and we do everything we can to minimise them Keith Auchterlonie British Gliding Association

"If somebody is out on a cross-country task and runs out of height, then the safest thing to do is to put down into a field. All glider pilots are trained to do that.

"It sounds as if the glider caught a cable of some form which caused it to crash into the ground.

"Thankfully, my information is that he is not seriously injured."

Mr Auchterlonie added: "There are risks involved and we are very aware of what those risks are and we do everything we can to minimise them."

He said would-be glider pilots have to go through rigorous training and pass a series of tests before they can fly solo or cross-country.

Police believe the pilot was trying to carry out a controlled landing in the glider when it clipped a power cable, causing it to overturn.

The crash happened in a field near to the Fife Council Depot at Riverside in Thornton.