A PILOT miraculously escaped serious injury after the glider he was flying plunged from the sky and crash-landed in a farmer's field.Despite seriously damaging the single-seater glider – which is believed to have spun out of control after its wing clipped the top a tree – the young pilot walked away with hardly a scratch.

A PILOT miraculously escaped serious injury after the glider he was flying plunged from the sky and crash-landed in a farmer's field.

Despite seriously damaging the single-seater glider - which is believed to have spun out of control after its wing clipped the top a tree - the young pilot walked away with hardly a scratch.

The pilot's terrifying ordeal happened at around 4pm yesterday . It is thought he was flying from Wormingford in Essex to Rattlesden airfield, near Bury St Edmunds.

It is believed the pilot, aged around 18, lost control of the glider after its wing clipped the top of a tree, forcing it to crash-land in a field at Ryce Hall Farm, Brettenham.

Police, fire and ambulance crews all attended the scene after he sought help at a nearby home. He was given a check-up by paramedics, but did not need hospital treatment.

The young pilot had taken off in a Senator Pegasus glider from Wormingford Flying Club in Essex, where he is a member.

Last night, the glider remained in the field. Its nose was badly damaged, and the protective plastic shield from the cockpit had come away from the craft and smashed into several pieces.

Andy Sanderson, deputy chief flying instructor at Wormingford, who was inspecting the crash scene last night, said: "Although the pilot is only aged about 18, he is very experienced for his age and has flown many times.

"Obviously, this time it looks as if he clipped the top of the tree and that caused him to have quite a heavy landing.

"Unfortunately these things do happen sometimes, and sometimes people get injured, but thankfully not this time.

"I think he may have been trying to get to Rattlesden because there was a competition going on there, but I am not exactly sure. Fortunately, he is not injured, but he is quite shaken up. We have reported the matter to the British Gliding Association, which will carry out a full investigation."

Last night, the pilot involved looked visibly shaken and upset as he looked at the badly damaged glider resting in amongst the crops in the field. He declined to comment on the accident.

A Suffolk police spokesman said: "We can confirm a glider did come down in a field in Brettenham at around 4pm. Paramedics saw the pilot, but his injuries were so slight he didn't need hospital treatment. As far as we are aware the relevant flying authority has been notified and will carry out an investigation."