Villagers witnessed a helicopter hit overhead electrical cables and crash to the ground as it was attempting to land.
The former military helicopter crash landed in a field near Byeloch Farm at the village of Mouswald, Dumfries and Galloway.
The pilot, local engineer Murray Grierson, was the sole occupant of the aircraft and had been due to meet friends from the village, who were waiting on him near the field.
Mr Grierson, from the nearby town of Dalbeattie, had been flying for two years and had recently purchased the helicopter, according to friends.
One family friend, who witnessed the crash and did not wish to be named, said: "He had been coming into land. The sun was a problem and he couldn't have seen the wires.
"The rotor clipped the overhead cables and the helicopter came down and landed on its side.
"We got some fire extinguishers from the garage just in case and rushed to the field. When we got there Murray was conscious and he got out.
"He's had a really lucky escape. It could have been so much worse."
Mr Grierson was treated at the scene for a gash to his head before being taken to hospital in Dumfries.
A spokesman for Dumfries and Galloway Police said no one else had been injured, contrary to earlier reports, and appealed for witnesses.