Light aircraft crashes in field in Blackwater

The plane's wings appeared to have detached on impact

A pilot has walked away unharmed after a light aircraft crashed in a field in Hampshire.

Emergency services were called to the crash off Minley Road in Blackwater just before 17:30 BST on Sunday.

Police said the light aircraft was understood to have taken off from Blackbushe Airport when it ran into difficulties.

Photos of the aftermath show the four-seater Piper Warrior's wings detached from the fuselage.

The Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) is investigating.

Initial reports suggested there had been two people on board but police later confirmed there was only one.

Hampshire Constabulary said the 30-year-old man was uninjured but was taken to Frimley Park Hospital as a precaution.

Aircraft owner Amarjit Singh said the plane was a write-off but he commended the pilot's actions, saying he was relieved he was not hurt.

He said: "He is a very good pilot - he knew what he was doing and he made a very safe landing."

Mr Singh, who owns a number of aircraft in and around London, said: "The pilots are part of our family. We lease many planes and we have huge feelings for all our pilots."

Blackbushe Airport, which hosts business jets, flying schools and helicopter flights as well as private fixed-wing aircraft, was the scene of a fatal crash in 2015 in which three members of Osama Bin Laden's family died.

The 30-year-old pilot of the aircraft was unharmed