RAF jet narrowly misses homes as it crashes and explodes
An RAF jet narrowly missed homes as it crashed and burst into flames in Wales.
Two trainee pilots were forced to eject from the Hawk T2 aircraft when it encountered a problem shortly after taking off from RAF Valley in Anglesey.
Footage of the crash shared online showed the moment the pilots ejected before the jet slammed into the ground and exploded.
Emergency services were sent to the scene, with an air ambulance reportedly landing nearby. North Wales Police said the pilots were being treated for minor injuries after parachuting to safety.
North Wales Police confirmed that the jet had crashed into a field just off the A4080, northeast of Aberffraw Football Club.
The cause of the incident is still under investigation. However, multiple defence sources claimed video footage from the moments before the pilots ejected indicated a potential problem with the jet’s controls.
“The several pitch-ups prior to the ejection is very unusual behaviour for the aircraft at that stage of flight. There is definitely something not normal,” one said.
A witness told North Wales Live he had watched the aircraft take off, adding: “I knew straight away that it was in trouble – right on take-off there was an orange flame, and as it accelerated it was basically on fire.
“As it gained altitude the flame disappeared but it was clearly in trouble. It climbed at an aggressive pitch. It pitched twice violently in the air, and then there were two clear loud bangs. The pilots ejected and both parachutes opened.”
In the video clip, the Hawk is seen banking upwards twice, then wobbling slightly before the pair eject from the aircraft.
A loud bang is then heard, believed to be from the rockets used to safely blast the pilots away from the stricken aircraft as it nosedives.
The T2 jet slams into an empty patch of scrubland close to houses before exploding in a ball of flames, with black smoke billowing as the inferno engulfs the wreckage.
A separate clip online appears to show two pilots floating back down to the ground on parachutes.
The Ministry of Defence is working with the emergency services at the crash scene.
An RAF spokesman said: “An incident involving an RAF T2 Hawk aircraft, flying out of RAF Valley, occurred near Anglesey. An investigation is underway.”
Wes Streeting, the Defence Secretary, said: “My thoughts are first and foremost with the pilots. We will provide further updates in due course.”
North Wales Fire and Rescue service said in a statement that the fire was under control. Fire engines had left the scene by 3.15pm.
It added: “North Wales Fire and Rescue Service crews and officers attended at an incident involving an aircraft in the Pencarnisiog area of Anglesey, working alongside colleagues from Royal Air Force, North Wales Police, Welsh Ambulance Service and Wales Air Ambulance.
“The fire is now under control. Members of the public are asked to avoid the area while emergency services continue their work safely.”
The Hawk T2, built by BAE Systems, is a two-seater training jet “equipped with advanced avionics and synthetic radar to simulate front-line combat aircraft like the Typhoon”.
The RAF uses it primarily for advanced jet training and preparing pilots for complex tactical environments.
The crash is the latest in a series of problems to blight the Hawk jets. In 2022, engines in the fleet of training aircraft were pulled from service after concerns about the risk of in-flight failures. Alec Shelbrooke, a former defence procurement minister, blamed problems with French-made components in the engines.
In January 2023, the 28-aircraft fleet was grounded as a precaution after a blade failed during an incident on the runway at RAF Valley. Flying resumed after a pause, but many engines were removed from service while the problem was investigated.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, the head of the Armed Forces, said in late 2024 that he wanted to replace the Hawk T2 because of the engine and support problems.
The crash comes three months after three members of the Royal Navy died when a helicopter went down during a training exercise in Devon.
Lieutenant Lily-Mae Fisher, Britain’s only female Royal Navy commando, died alongside Lieutenant Commander Chris Gayson and Petty Officer Owen Green when their Merlin Mk4 crashed in a field near Sourton Down in the early hours of June 4.
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