Resident watched as light aircraft fatally 'nosedived' into Fife hillside

A resident has spoken of the moment a light aircraft “nosedived” into the side of a hill in Fife and killed the pilot onboard.

The alarm was raised after the plane crashed near Fife airport in Kinglassie around 11.38am on Monday.

Police and ambulance arrived in the area alongside a Coastguard rescue helicopter.

The 50-year-old male pilot was pronounced dead at the scene. No one else was injured during the incident.

Dave Nicolson was returning home when he heard the aircraft flying overhead. He believes the plane didn’t sound like it was “running correctly”.

He told STV News: “I had a look and the next thing I heard it stalling and it just nosedived into the ground. I heard the bang from down the bottom of the village and drove up here to find out what had happened.

Rescue helicopter on scene of light aircraft crash in Fife

“There was an old boy at that time phoning the emergency services.”

A team of AAIB inspectors have been dispatched to the scene to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident

A spokesperson for the AAIB said: “The AAIB has been notified of this accident and is deploying a team of inspectors to commence an investigation.”

Emergency services are still on the scene.

A police spokesperson said: “We received a report of a light aircraft having crashed near Fife Airport, Kinglassie, around 11.40am on Monday, December 23, 2024.

“Officers attended and a 50-year-old man, the pilot, was pronounced dead at the scene. His next of kin are aware.

“No-one else was injured.

“Emergency services remain at the scene and enquiries into the circumstances surrounding the crash are continuing.”