A trainee pilot has been taken to hospital after sustaining injuries in a light aircraft crash near Waterford Airport.
It is understood that the man in his 30s suffered non-life-threatening injuries after the collision which happened in a field near the airport runway at about 12pm on Monday.
Emergency services were immediately called to the scene and gardaí secured the area around the crash site while ambulance personnel tended to the pilot, who was flying solo at the time.
It is believed that he was being instructed from the ground but the light aircraft had engine problems and he was attempting to return to the airport when the incident took place and he performed a forced landing.
Inspectors from the Air Accident Investigation Unit were expected on the scene mid-afternoon on Monday to carry out a full investigation, along with staff from the Health and Safety Authority.
Gardaí in Waterford confirmed that the pilot was taken to University Hospital Waterford. "His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening," a spokeswoman said.