
Two RAF pilots ejected safely from a Hawk T2 training jet that crashed and burst into flames near RAF Valley in Anglesey, Wales, prompting a temporary pause in training flights as investigators examine the cause, with experts noting the ejection was remarkable and suggesting the flames observed may indicate a hydraulic issue rather than engine failure.
AI-generated summary
The RAF Valley base in Anglesey, Wales, provides basic and advanced fast-jet training using Hawk T2 aircraft, which are two-seat training jets used for advanced pilot instruction and share design similarities with the Typhoon fighter. The area is part of the UK's low-flying tactical training system used for pilot instruction.
The RAF is investigating a crash involving one of its high-speed Hawk fighter jets after two of its pilots ejected and parachuted out of their plane moments before it crashed and burst into flames.
The RAF said that training on these jets had been "temporarily" paused as a "precautionary measure".
North Wales Police said the pilots, who had been flying a training aircraft, were being treated for minor injuries.
While an investigation is under way, here is what we know so far and what the crash footage shows us, according to one expert.
The Hawk T2 aircraft had been flying out of the RAF Valley base on Anglesey when it plummeted to the ground at nearby Pencarnisiog.
RAF Valley is used to provide both basic and advanced fast-jet training.
According to BBC Security analyst Mikey Kay, who also served in the RAF for 20 years, the area was "perfectly situated for training pilots" and was part of the "low-flying system".
According to the Ministry of Defence, there are 20 low-flying areas - also known as tactical training areas. They are located in central Wales, northern Scotland, the borders area of southern Scotland and northern England.
RAF Valley is also close to the Machynlleth Loop - a series of valleys between Dolgellau in Gwynedd and Machynlleth in Powys.
The loop, also known as the Mach Loop, is an attraction for aviation enthusiasts and photographers.
"These pilots they train in low level, they train in instrument flying, formation flying, general handling, so that area, the Anglesey area and its accessibility to all of those landscapes for the requirement of training is perfect," said Kay.
The jet involved was Hawk T2 - a two-seat training jet by BAe Systems used for advanced jet training, and designed with similar controls to the Typhoon fighter jet.
According to the RAF, it comes with an advanced "glass cockpit", and the aircraft is also used for the "most advanced fast jet training for RAF pilots".
The older version of the T2, Hawk T1, is also used by the Red Arrows, which the BBC understands are also included in the pause. However, they were not due to fly again until Le Touquet Airshow in France this weekend. It is not known when the restriction will be lifted.
Kay, a former RAF pilot who grew up three miles away from RAF Valley, shared video on social media appearing to show flames rising from the rear of the T2 jet, external as it rolls down the runway.
As the jet climbs, the flames seem to disappear. It is not clear how long after take-off the pilot's ejection from the plane took place.
Kay told the BBC that the Hawks are non-reheated jets, which means they do not have reheat - also known as afterburn in the US. This is a secondary combustion system that injects raw fuel directly into a jet engine's exhaust stream behind the turbine, which gives the jet a big short-term boost in thrust.
It is different to an F18 or a Tornado where orange flames will come out of the jet, Kay explains.
"You never ever see flames coming out of the back of a Hawk," he said, adding that in the video, the flames can be seen coming off the side of the engine - where the main hydraulics system is, which controls how the plane flies - and not out of the engine.
Kay says that while it is too early to say, it is possible that the cause of the crash was not an engine failure.
A video of the crash shared on social media appears to show the two pilots ejecting from the aircraft before it nosedives, crashes and bursts into flames.
The footage shows a plume of smoke and fire erupting as the aircraft hits the ground, appearing to narrowly miss residential properties.
Kay - who hosts the BBC's Security Brief - described footage of the pilots ejecting being caught on camera as "quite remarkable" and said the pilots' ejection seat was "one of the big lifesavers in this whole story".
He said there are two options for ejection that can be taken in a T2 jet - which usually involves an experienced pilot trainer and a student.
One option involves both pilots ejecting individually by pulling a black and yellow ring placed between their legs on the jet, the second option is called "command ejection" where one pilot ejects both seats, with whoever sitting at the back going first.
According to Kay, once the pilot decides to eject the seats, it sets off a miniature detonation cord (MDC), a thin explosive line that is used to shatter the canopy of a jet in the event of an emergency.
"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.
"As far as I'm aware this is the first known case of this variant, the T2, ejecting pilots out of it," he said, adding that the safety record for these jets is "obviously very good".
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The RAF will release a preliminary findings report on the Hawk T2 crash within the next few weeks.
Likely · Within weeks
Training on Hawk T2 jets at RAF Valley will resume after the safety investigation concludes and any necessary precautions are implemented.
Likely · Within weeks
Eight U.S. Navy sailors attempted suicide during the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group's nine-month deployment to the Middle East, which included over 250 consecutive days at sea without port visits and active combat operations against Iran, according to a letter from Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, with no fatalities reported.

Russian troops destroyed seven temporary deployment points of Ukrainian formations in private housing developments in the Dobropil direction, using UAVs for reconnaissance and targeted strikes, which led to losses of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in manpower and deprived them of shelters and training.
A Hawk T2 fighter jet has crashed during training in North Wales. Both pilots were able to eject and are being treated in hospital with minor injuries. An investigation was opened by the British Ministry of Defense, and the RAF temporarily suspended its Hawk T1 and T2 aircraft as a precaution.

U.S.-made F-35 stealth fighter components, including a cockpit canopy and weapons bay door coated with radar-absorbing material, were diverted to Hong Kong during shipment from Australia to the U.S. in late May, prompting an investigation involving Australian and U.S. officials and Lockheed Martin, amid broader concerns about technology transfer to China.

On the evening of September 8, a drone appeared near Taichung Qingquangang Airport, causing the Air Force to suspend takeoffs and landings for about 25 minutes, affecting two civilian aircraft and eight military aircraft. The National Sun Yat-sen Academy of Sciences stated that the Qingquangang UAV countermeasures system is still under construction and has not yet been completed for acceptance and activation. The article pointed out that building national defense combat capabilities not only depends on the quantity of purchases and the availability of equipment, but also factors such as support systems, maintenance backups, personnel proficiency, and countermeasures system preparation. Otherwise, the book numbers cannot be equal to the actual combat capabilities.

Retired Lieutenant Colonel of the People's Militia of the LPR Andrey Marochko said that servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are leaving their positions in the Orekhovsky direction of the Zaporozhye region without permission, creating conditions for encirclement in the area of Chervona Krenitsa, Novopavlovka and other populated areas.