Watch: Moment RAF Pilots Eject Seconds Before Rs 203 Crore Hawk Jet Turns Into Fireball In Wales

London: A Rs 203 crore Royal Air Force (RAF) Hawk T2 aircraft has crashed and burst into flames shortly after becoming airborne and plummeting into open farmland in Anglesey. The advanced trainer had departed from RAF Valley earlier on Wednesday afternoon before suffering the tragic failure.

According to reports, both pilots on board managed to eject moments before impact and are understood to have survived. The emergency crews were immediately sent to the crash site after reports of a fireball and thick smoke rising from the fields.

The incident occurred in North Wales, following which a major multi-agency rescue operation was initiated at the site. Despite the violent nature of the crash, the police have confirmed there has been no major damage or injuries to members of the public.

Ejection Captured On Video As Jet Nosedives

A dramatic footage circulating on social media appears to show the final seconds of the flight. The aircraft can be seen lurching up and down twice in an unstable manner as dense smoke streams from the rear portion. The canopy then detonates and both crew members are propelled clear of the jet before it drops nose-first and bursts into a fireball on the ground in a huge explosion.

The people on the ground reported seeing the engine emit bright orange flames almost as soon as the jet left the runway. One golfer who was on the 14th fairway told North Wales Live, said, “I was setting up for my second shot off the fairway on the 14th when I heard an enormous bang up above. I looked up and saw that two pilots had ejected from a hawk and the jet nosedived into some fields followed by another explosion with a ball of flame and thick black smoke billowing into the sky.”

Multiple others claimed hearing two distinct loud bangs and watching plumes of black smoke climb into the sky after the aircraft nosedived into a field near Pencarnisiog. North Wales Police, North Wales Fire and Rescue Service, the Welsh Ambulance Service University Health Trust, Helimed air ambulance and a coastguard helicopter were all mobilised to the scene.

A statement from North Wales Police said, “Local officers are currently in attendance at reports of an incident involving an RAF training aircraft in the Pencarnisiog area of Anglesey, alongside colleagues from the Royal Air Force, North Wales Fire and Rescue Service, Welsh Ambulance Service University Health Trust and Helimed. 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. Please avoid the area until further notice. Updates will be issued when appropriate.”

The Ministry of Defence has confirmed a formal inquiry has been launched. A Royal Air Force spokesperson said, “An incident involving an RAF T2 Hawk aircraft, flying out of RAF Valley, occurred near Anglesey. An investigation is underway and we will not comment further at this time.” The public has been urged to stay away from the area while emergency services work.

Troubled Fleet Grounded Again

In line with protocol, the RAF has temporarily grounded its entire Hawk fleet, including the T2 training variant and the older T1 aircraft flown by the Red Arrows. An RAF source said the move was “standard practice” after such an incident.

Sources with knowledge of the aircraft suggested that the descriptions matched previous failures where the T2’s engine “blowing up” on take-off. One expert explained, “We have had this problem before. Other aircraft have experienced this on take off but they have managed to abort. Either this crew was going too fast to stop or they were too slow to react when they realised what was happening. Once you are airborne there’s very little you can do – turn back if you have enough height or eject.”

Another source added, “They may have been trying to gain height. More height equals more safety for an ejection. But it also looks like the aircraft is not responding to controls. The Hawk 2 is fly-by-wire so perhaps the controls were damaged by the fire. So it stalls and they eject.”

The long-running technical difficulties are understood to centre on the Rolls Royce turbofan engine, specifically its French-manufactured Safran compressor which has been reported to “disintegrate”. In 2022 several T2 engines were withdrawn from service, leading to severe delays in pilot training. The fleet was also grounded in 2023 for similar engine-related issues. Chief of the Defence Staff Sir Rich Knighton has previously stated he wants to find a Hawk replacement “as soon as possible”.

Earlier, a Hawk T1 crashed in Cornwall in 2021 after an engine failure during a training sortie where it was simulating an adversary for a Royal Navy exercise, with both pilots ejecting safely.

RAF Valley remains the hub for advanced fast-jet instruction. The BAE Systems Hawk T2, which entered service in 2012 to succeed the long-serving Hawk T1, is termed by the MoD as “A high-performance, 2-seat training jet equipped with advanced avionics and synthetic radar to simulate front-line combat aircraft like the Typhoon. Used primarily by the RAF for advanced jet training, it prepares pilots for complex tactical environments".