By Debbie Kerr

A STUDENT pilot escaped injury yesterday afternoon after crashing a light aircraft while taking-off from Dundee airport.

It was the second light aircraft to crash in Tayside in two days, after a 78-year-old Gypsy Moth plunged into a field close to Perth airport at Scone on Monday.

The latest accident happened at around 3.30pm yesterday during a Tayside Aviation training flight at the airport.

The pilot was not injured , and managed to land the aircraft within the airfield boundary.

Airport fire crews and an ambulance quickly attended the scene of the crash as part of a routine precautionary measure.

The Grob 115 single-engined, two-seat aircraft sustained only slight damage.

Dundee Airport was closed for more than an hour after the incident as a full inspection was being carried out.

The relevant authorities, including the Air Accident Investigation Bureau, were informed of the incident, and a full investigation into the crash is to be undertaken as soon as possible.

Dundee Airport manager Graeme Bell said regular services were only slightly disrupted following the drama, “The aircraft was departing Dundee on a training flight,” he explained. “The female pilot of the aircraft is uninjured and a full investigation will be carried out in conjunction with the authorities. “The aircraft sustained slight damage. The airport was closed to air traffic for a short period but there was minimal disruption to scheduled services with only one flight delayed in arriving by around 10 minutes.”

John Stewart, head of training at Tayside Aviation, said, “It was a minor incident, but the female pilot is not hurt and the aircraft only has minor damage—I’m sure they will both be flying in the air again in a few days.”