RAF pauses Hawk training after fighter jet crash

High-speed Hawk fighter jet training has been 'temporarily' paused as a 'precautionary measure', the Royal Air Force (RAF) said after two of its pilots ejected and parachuted from their aircraft moments before it crashed, narrowly missing homes.

The Hawk T2 aircraft had been flying from the RAF Valley base on Anglesey, an island in Wales, when it plummeted to the ground at nearby Pencarnisiog.

North Wales Police said the pilots, who had been flying a training aircraft, were being treated for minor injuries.

The RAF said it had decided to pause Hawk operations while investigations were ongoing.

Eyewitnesses described how the aircraft came down near village homes, with debris landing near a caravan site.

A video of the crash shared on social media appears to show the two pilots ejecting from the aircraft before it nosedived, crashed and burst into flames.

The footage shows a plume of smoke and fire erupting as the aircraft hit the ground, appearing to narrowly miss residential properties.

The Hawk T1 and newer T2 versions are transonic, two-seat training aircraft used to train fast-jet pilots.

The Red Arrows, based at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire, are included in the pause, as the aerobatics display team uses the T1, according to information available to the BBC.

However, they were not due to fly again until the Le Touquet Airshow in France this weekend in any event. It is not known when the restriction will be lifted.

Richard Owen, owner of Afallon Caravan Park, said the tail section of the aircraft 'must have blown off' before ending up next to one of his caravans.

He was in his kitchen when he heard an initial bang but 'didn't think much about it' as he lives on the flightpath.

'But then I heard a second bang and I saw the fire and flames,' he said.

'It landed just on the other side of the park. I went out to take a look.

'There were little bits of wreckage all around the site.'

Eyewitness Ollie Zalot said he was initially concerned that people on the ground could have been hurt as the crash occurred near buildings.

'I saw the parachutes come down so I assumed they [pilots] were fine,' he said.

Zalot said he was driving on the nearby A55 when he heard a 'big bang'.

'I just saw smoke everywhere but it looked like it was next to a farm yard so I thought maybe it's a bonfire.

'And as I got there I saw the flames get too big for a bonfire.

'I was just hoping everyone was okay. It looked close to buildings.

'That's what I was worried about.'

Anglesey councillor Neville Evans said he thought it had been a 'very lucky escape considering how close' the crash was to a village and caravan park.

North Wales Police said: 'Two pilots are being treated for what are thought to be minor injuries and at this stage there are no reports of any wider damage or injuries.'

Two air ambulances that were at the crash site later landed at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, home of the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine (RCDM).

The RAF confirmed that an investigation was under way following an 'incident involving an RAF Hawk T2 aircraft, flying out of RAF Valley'.

While addressing the UK Space Power Conference in London, Defence Secretary Wes Streeting gave a short update on the crash, saying both crew members had ejected.

'I'm glad to say they've now been taken to hospital for treatment, and of course we're investigating how and why this happened.

'But for now, our best wishes go to the crew along with our hopes for a speedy recovery.'

First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth said he was 'very pleased and relieved' that the pilots had not been 'seriously injured'.

'I wish the crew a swift recovery,' he added.

Leader of Reform UK Wales Helen Jenner said: 'I grew up in Bodorgan, just along the coast from Valley.

'RAF Valley is part of the fabric of Anglesey.

'It has trained generations of fast-jet pilots, and our island is proud to be home to the men and women who serve there.'

BBC security analyst Mikey Kay described footage of the pilots ejecting, which was captured on camera, as 'quite remarkable'.

He said the pilots' ejection seat was 'one of the big lifesavers in this whole story'.

'The aircraft seat is designed for the pilot to be able to eject at zero speed and zero height, and that will allow enough time for the parachute to inflate, and then the pilots hit the ground,' he added.

Fighter pilots are trained at RAF Valley, which is also a base for maritime and search and rescue operations.