AN RAF pilot was recovering in hospital tonight after ejecting from his stricken aircraft shortly before it plummeted into the ground.

Experienced instructor Mike Rutland was rehearsing aerobatics above RAF Linton-on-Ouse, near York, when his flight went disastrously wrong.

However he was able to eject before his out-of-control Tucano T1 trainer smashed into the ground inside the base perimeter.

It is understood the 33-year-old suffered only minor injuries in the incident, which happened at about 12.25pm today.

But a Sea King helicopter was scrambled from RAF Leconfield to airlift him to the specialist spinal unit at the Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham.

Such a move is a standard precaution after a pilot has ejected as the sudden acceleration puts a huge strain on the spine and last night Flt Lt Rutland was said to be in a stable condition.

A former Harrier and Tornado pilot, Flt Lt Rutland is an instructor at Linton-on-Ouse, the home of the military's No 1 Flying School which trains future jet pilots for both the RAF and Royal Navy.

He was selected as the 2009 Tucano display pilot earlier this year and was practicing his aerobatic sequence when the accident occurred.

The wrecked aircraft was left at the scene last night - cordoned off and guarded - while a team of experts travelled up from London to examine it.

The station commander, Group Captain Mike Longstaff said: "We are of course unable to speculate on the cause of the crash and an independent Service Enquiry Board will convene tomorrow."

He added: "Mike is one of my finest pilots and I am delighted to say that he is in a stable condition."

The Brazilian-built Tucano T1 is a single-engine turbo-prop aircraft that has been in service with the RAF since the late 1980s when it replaced the ageing Jet Provost trainer.

The aircraft's safety record is regarded as an impressive one. Of the 127 originally acquired by the RAF - at a cost of £1m each - only three have since crashed.

Each aircraft undergoes extensive pre-flight and post-flight tests which are overseen by pilots and engineers.

Last year Prince William was stationed at Linton for four months while he learnt to fly on Tucanos.