RAF pilots expected to recover after Anglesey Hawk crash as training is paused
Two RAF pilots, a trainee and an instructor, are recovering after ejecting from a Hawk T2 before it crashed on Anglesey; the RAF has paused Hawk training and is investigating.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Two RAF pilots are recovering in hospital after ejecting from a Hawk T2 training aircraft seconds before it crashed on Anglesey. The jet came down near RAF Valley, close to a caravan park and the villages of Llanfaelog and Rhosneigr, narrowly missing homes and occupied caravans. No one on the ground was hurt.
Amateur video showed the aircraft flying normally before it briefly lost altitude and pitched up twice. The two crew members then ejected with parachutes before the jet nosedived into a field and exploded in a large fireball. One witness who was playing golf said he heard a bang overhead, saw the pilots eject and watched the plane dive into a field and explode. Another saw flames coming from the engine as the aircraft left the runway. The impact broke off part of the tail, which landed nearby. A man at the caravan park said the tail came down about 10 to 15 feet from an empty caravan and within 30 feet of caravans where people were staying.
Emergency services, including North Wales Police, the RAF, ambulance crews, air ambulances, coastguard and the fire brigade, attended. Both pilots were airlifted to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, where they were treated at a specialist military treatment unit. Police initially described their injuries as minor. Later the RAF said one was a trainee and the other an experienced instructor. They were in good spirits, with their families, and expected to make a full recovery.
Ejection put the pilots under severe physical stress. One report said they could face 14 to 20 Gs, compressing the spine and causing temporary height loss of 1 to 3 centimetres. Another said acceleration from zero to about 200mph upwards at around 12 or 13 times the force of gravity in about a third of a second. Medical checks were needed even though injuries were described as minor.
An RAF station commander said the pilot declared an emergency and the information was passed to air traffic control, prompting a fire and rescue response. The commander said the pilots made rapid decisions and steered the aircraft away from built-up areas before ejecting at the last possible moment. The aircraft was aimed towards open fields to avoid people on the ground. The station commander added that safety is a priority for everyone at RAF Valley.
The aircraft was a Hawk T2, developed by BAE. It is used by 4 Squadron for mountain and maritime training and by 25 Squadron for RAF and Royal Navy training. The type has been used to train pilots on Anglesey since 2009 and is used for advanced fast jet training, with controls similar to the Typhoon. RAF Valley is also where Prince William was stationed between 2010 and 2013. Hawk T1 and T2 operations, or high-speed Hawk training, were temporarily paused as a precaution. The fleet was previously grounded over engine problems in 2023, but there is no suggestion those difficulties played any part in this crash.
Investigators remain on site. The Ministry of Defence and the Defence Air Investigation Branch are examining the wreckage and the pilots' accounts to establish what went wrong. Police said there were no further reports of wider damage or injuries. The Defence Secretary said an investigation was underway and thoughts were first with the pilots.
Locals described the outcome as a lucky escape. They said it was miraculous that the jet did not hit buildings or people, given how close it came to the caravan park and village. Questions have been asked about the safety of the jets, and people living and holidaying in the area want reassurance that it will not happen again.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC News | BBC One | ITV | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Two RAF pilots sustained minor injuries after ejecting from a training aircraft that crashed in Wales. | |||||
| An investigation into the incident was under way, according to the Defence Secretary. | · | ||||
| RAF temporarily paused Hawk T1 and T2 operations as a precaution. | · | · | |||
| The aircraft apparently narrowly missed houses. | · | · | |||
| The aircraft involved in the crash was a Hawk T2 developed by BAE. | · | · | |||
| The RAF said the two pilots who ejected were expected to make a full recovery. | · | · | · | ||
| Ejection seats subject pilots to between 14 and 20 Gs of force. | · | · | · | · | |
| The Hawk T2 fleet had previously been grounded because of engine problems, but there was no suggestion the earlier difficulties were linked to the crash. | · | · | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Sky led with dramatic amateur video and technical detail on the Hawk T2 and ejection forces. It stressed the emergency response and the investigation, framing the crash as a lucky escape for the pilots and people on the ground. It also carried the initial police line that injuries were minor.
- “Two RAF pilots are being treated for minor injuries. This is after ejecting from a training aircraft that crashed in Wales.”
- “The plane involved here is the Hawk T2 developed by BAE.”
- “When they do eject from a plane like this their bodies are put under immense pressure, Leah.”
5 News focused on the dramatic footage and the speed of the pilots' reaction, replaying the ejection for viewers. It placed the crash in local context, noting RAF Valley's links to Prince William and describing the fireball as a miracle escape. It gave less technical and investigation detail than other channels.
- “two RAF pilots are being treated for minor injuries after ejecting from a training aircraft on Anglesey in North Wales.”
- “Interestingly as well, they are the same jets that they use for the Red Arrows in training.”
- “the RAF have said a full investigation is underway”
BBC One West combined local eyewitness testimony with official updates from the RAF. It emphasised the hospital transfer to Birmingham, the temporary grounding of Hawk jets and the commander's account that the pilots steered away from built-up areas. Its later coverage also detailed the physical stress of ejection and the investigation on site.
- “Both pilots have been airlifted to hospital in Birmingham.”
- “The impact of the plane hitting the ground caused part of the tail to break off and land nearby.”
- “Both pilots who'd been flying out of RAF Valley were airlifted to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham and are being treated for minor injuries.”
ITV1 gave the story extensive coverage across bulletins, leading on the pilots' narrow escape and the commander's praise. It leaned on eyewitness Paul Bennett, the proximity to caravans and homes, and later updates that one pilot was a trainee and the other an instructor. It also highlighted the temporary pause in Hawk training and questions about safety.
- “Two RAF pilots who ejected from their aircraft moments before it exploded on the ground steered it away from built-up areas and people, an Air Force commander revealed today.”
- “The Hawk T2 aircraft plummeted to the ground during a training exercise on Anglesey yesterday.”
- “the pilot was experiencing difficulties with the aircraft. He declared an emergency.”
BBC News gave a concise national report, focusing on the crash, the hospital transfer and the immediate precautionary pause of all Hawk T1 and T2 operations. It included eyewitness colour but kept the emphasis on official confirmation and the investigation.
- “Two RAF pilots have been injured after ejecting from their training aircraft in North Wales moments before it crashed, apparently only just missing houses.”
- “They were taken to a specialist military treatment unit at a hospital in Birmingham with what police said were minor injuries.”
- “And just to say all Hawk T1 and T2 operations have now been temporarily paused as a precautionary measure.”
Who was on air
People and organisations each channel put on air while covering this story. Channels' own presenters and reporters are not listed. Names as transcribed, and the list can miss people.
- 22:09 BST
“I could see the tail end of the plane in their car park Mark Ridgway arrived at the caravan park minutes after the crash”
ITV News at Ten · Wed 23 Sept - 13:34 BST
“The RAF says two pilots who ejected from their aircraft before it crashed are expected”
ITV Lunchtime News · Thu 24 Sept - 13:36 BST
Jez Curry, group captain
“I think in this instance where the aircraft had only shortly got airborne out of RAF Valley his decision making process would have to be pretty rapid”
ITV Lunchtime News · Thu 24 Sept - 18:33 BST
Paul Bennett, witness
“Paul Bennett could not believe his eyes when he saw a jet to Hawk take to the sky and then lose control.”
ITV Evening News · Thu 24 Sept - 22:12 BST
- 17:08 BST
Royal Air Force, RAF
“the RAF have said a full investigation is underway”
5 News with Dan Walker · Wed 23 Sept
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.