PRINCE WILLIAM grounded a plane by "overcooking the turbo" while training at an RAF base in the region, it has been claimed.

The claim has been made by former engineering officer Joe Watt, now a York councillor, who spent 23 years with the RAF.

Coun Watt is now base manager of ITP York, a company that provides engineering support to the RAF, helping to power its Tucano training aircraft.

Prince Williams flew the Tucano during his time at RAF Linton-on-Ouse, near York, last year.

He is said to have overheated one of the Tucano, which then had to go into ITP to be checked over, reportedly taking it out of action for two to three days.

Nothing was found to have been damaged.

Coun Watt said: "He flicked the wrong switch on shutdown and overcooked the turbo.

"I think he switched it back on.

"The engine tries to start again when it is stopping.

"He is not the only one.

"We have had two or three.

"Better pilots than him have done it."

Coun Watt said the mistake may have been caused as a result of there being two pilots in the plane, the instructor and the trainee - in this case the heir to the throne.

An RAF spokesman said: "No damage was done to an aircraft during Flight Lieutenant Wales’s Tucano training, on attachment to the RAF during 2008.

The Prince touched down at RAF Linton-on-Ouse in February last year, as part of his familiarisation with the armed forces.

He had initially flown the Grob Tutor aircraft, at RAF Cranwell, in Lincolnshire, before coming to North Yorkshire to train on the faster Tucano.

The Tucano, which cost about £1m each 20 years ago, have a top speed of 350mph.

Despite his mishap with the training plane, Prince William gained his "wings" after a total of 12 weeks training and was presented with them by his father, Prince Charles.