A light aircraft crash landed in a field in Kercem, Gozo, this afternoon.

The incident happened at around 3 p.m and involved a single-engined Tecnam aircraft used by the European Flight Academy.

Capt John Dixon, director of training, said the aircraft was on a  routine training flight and had to make a forced landing. The instructor and the student who were on board were not seriously hurt.

Both men, who are from Birkirkara, got out of the wreckage unaided. 

Capt Dixon said that while the cause of the incident would be investigated, it appeared that the cause was severe turbulence caused by high temperatures. The pilot had reported no technical malfunction. 

The incident happened shortly after 3 p.m. The control tower lost contact with the aircraft and it was then spotted in the field by the seaplane which operates between the two islands.

The plane was extensively damaged but fortunately did not catch fire. Two fire engines and an ambulance were on the scene.