Two RAF pilots were captured on dramatic video as they ejected from a fighter jet shortly after take-off.
The Hawk T2 crashed moments after leaving the runway this morning, with witnesses reporting a “big bang” and flames coming from the aircraft.
Both crew members, who are understood to have been undergoing training, ejected safely and descended by parachute. Police said they were being treated for minor injuries.
Witnesses saw flames coming from the training aircraft after it took off from RAF Valley on Anglesey, North Wales. The jet later crashed near the village of Rhosneigr.
Remarkable footage shows the aircraft jolting violently in mid-air before both servicemen eject at the same time. Seconds later, the Hawk plunges towards the ground and erupts into a fireball, sending a huge column of smoke into the sky.
Separate footage posted on Facebook shows a Wales Air Ambulance helicopter landing in a field near the crash site.
Farming influencer Gareth Wyn Jones shared a photograph on social media that appeared to show the two crew members descending beneath their parachutes.
“Hope everyone is ok,” he wrote. “Rhosneigr, big bang, jet on fire out of control and two parachutes??”
The Hawk T2 training aircraft crashed shortly after take-off, with both pilots ejecting safely
Dramatic footage captures the moment both pilots escaped from the aircraft
A huge fireball erupted when the jet crashed near Rhosneigr on Anglesey
Witnesses reported seeing flames coming from the Hawk T2 training aircraft after it took off from RAF Valley
The pilots were found soon after the crash and are being treated for minor injuries
The Hawk T2 plunged to the ground shortly after take-off after witnesses heard a “big bang” and saw flames coming from the jet
The aircraft lurched violently before diving towards the ground
One witness said he watched the jet take off before telling his wife, “It’s in trouble, as I could see flames.”
He wrote: “We watched it climb, then as it was parallel with us, it started to pitch up violently twice… Then both pilots ejected and the Hawk crashed about a mile away.”
Another witness, Pete Bennett, told North Wales Live: “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.
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“It climbed at an aggressive pitch… It pitched violently twice in the air and then there were two clear, loud bangs.”
‘The pilots ejected and both parachutes opened.’
North Wales Police has warned people to avoid the area ‘until further notice’.
A spokesman for the force said: ‘Local officers are currently in attendance to reports of an incident involving an aircraft in the Pencarnisiog area of Anglesey, alongside colleagues from North Wales Fire and Rescue Services, 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.’
A Royal Air Force spokesman said: ‘An incident involving an RAF T2 Hawk aircraft, flying out of RAF Valley, occurred near Anglesey. An investigation is under way and we will not comment further at this time.’
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting posted on X and said: ‘An investigation is underway. My thoughts are first and foremost with the pilots. We will provide further updates in due course.’
North Wales Fire and Rescue Service issued an update on Wednesday afternoon and said the blaze is now ‘under control’.
A spokesperson said: ‘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 Services NHS Trust 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.’
RAF Valley, where Prince William was once stationed as a search-and-rescue pilot flying Sea King helicopters, is home to the RAF’s No4 Flying Training School and is responsible for training Britain’s next generation of fighter pilots.
The Hawk T2 is built by BAE Systems and has been used to train British pilots since 1976.
It is described by the RAF as a ‘high-performance, two-seat training jet’ designed to ‘simulate front-line combat aircraft like the Typhoon’.
It is used in training to prepare pilots for complex tactical environments.
The entire fleet was briefly grounded in January 2023 amid concerns after a blade failed during an incident on the runway at RAF Valley.
They were allowed to resume operating the following month.