A pilot made a miraculous escape after his plane plunged into a Fife field on Saturday.
The 50-year-old man escaped serious injury when his light aircraft flipped on to its roof after crashing just south of Glenrothes.
The aircraft had taken off from the nearby Fife Airport just minutes earlier, although air traffic control then reported losing contact with the plane shortly afterwards.
Although trapped following the impact, the pilot managed to isolate the fuel supply a move that almost certainly saved his life before rescue crews arrived to free him.
An air ambulance arrived shortly afterwards, transporting the pilot to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary where he is understood to have been kept in overnight as a precautionary measure.
Inspector Andrew Sneddon of Police Scotland Fife Division said: “The pilot, who was the sole person on board, was able to contact the authorities and report he was trapped but had been able to isolate the fuel supply.
“Within a very short period of time, our colleagues from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service helped free him from the aircraft and he was then airlifted to hospital.”
A full-scale emergency response was activated after members of the public reported an aircraft flying at low levels over the village of Thornton and Finglassie in the south of Glenrothes, shortly before 1pm.
Fire crews from across Fife, including a heavy lifting unit from Lochgelly, were scrambled to the area where the wreckage of the plane was found in an isolated spot just south of the Lochty Burn, half a mile west of Thornton.
The air ambulance was called to transport the pilot to hospital, with officials from the service confirming that he was treated for “non-life threatening” injuries.
A number of agencies, including the Air Accident Investigation Bureau, are now involved in determining what caused the crash, while members of the public who witnessed the drama are being urged to come forward.
Inspector Sneddon added: “I would like to appeal for anyone who saw the aircraft in the minutes before it came down to get in touch with us.”
Fife Airport said they were unable to speak about the incident.
The airport is one of Scotland’s most popular airfields and is used predominantly for pilot training and by leisure flyers.
Last September a pilot and his passenger escaped unscathed after their plane crashed at the aerodrome following a failed landing attempt.
Lawrie McWilliams, 55, and passenger Mick Hutchinson, 76, walked away from the wreckage of their Ikarus C42 following the incident, which the pilot conceded was his fault.
Mr McWilliams also praised the reaction of Fife Airport staff following the incident.
Anybody with information about Saturday’s crash is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101 or the charity Crimestoppers on 0800555111.