Two pilots eject and parachute out of RAF plane before crash

Two pilots parachuted out before crash

Two pilots ejected and parachuted out of their plane before the RAF training aircraft crashed and burst into flames, appearing to narrowly miss homes.

North Wales Police said the pilots of the RAF T2 Hawk aircraft were being treated for minor injuries following the incident in the Pencarnisiog area of Anglesey.

The force said helicopters from the Coastguard and the Wales Air Ambulance were sent to the scene close to RAF Valley on the island. The pilots have been taken to Birmingham for treatment.

A spokesperson for the RAF said it is currently investigating the crash.

Danni Jones Smoke billows into the sky from the trees and shrubbery, something appears to be on fire in the left hand side. Trees and shrubbery and a house is visible in the foreground. Danni Jones

Lewis Burgess Wreckage of RAF T2 on the ground, two emergency response officers spray the wreckage with water. Lewis Burgess

The two pilots were able to eject themselves before the plane crashedMoments captured from the sceneThe incident involved an RAF T2 Hawk

“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,” North Wales Police said.

“Please avoid the area until further notice.”

The two air ambulances which were at the scene of the Hawk T2 crash in Llanfaelog have both landed at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, home of the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine (RCDM).

The Royal Air Force said: “An incident involving an RAF T2 Hawk aircraft, flying out of RAF Valley.

“An investigation is under way and we will not comment further at this time.”

One eyewitness, Ollie Zalot, said he was initially concerned that people on the ground could have been hurt as the crashed happened near buildings.

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

Anglesey councillor Neville Evans and eye witness Ollie Zalot near the scene of the crash — Anglesey councillor Neville Evans (left) said it was “lucky” no one on the ground had been hurt, while eyewitness Ollie Zalot said the plane crashed near to a farm yard

Zalot told BBC Wales 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.”

North Wales Police says the pilots of the aircraft are being treated for minor injuries

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

“It’s very, very close to populations and amenities,” he said.

Another eyewitness, Pete Bennett, told North Wales Live he had watched the aircraft take off before the crash.

“I knew straight away that it was in trouble,” he said.

“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.

“It climbed at an aggressive pitch. It pitched twice violently in the air and then there were two clear loud bangs.

“The pilots ejected and both parachutes opened.”

BBC map showing Anglesey, in Wales with the location of an RAF plane crash near Pencarnisiog on the southwest of the island. Nearby places marked include RAF Valley and Caergeiliog. An inset map shows Anglesey's location on the northwest tip of Wales. — The RAF plane crash happened near Pencarnisiog

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 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.”

The Senedd member for Bangor Conwy Môn said the incident has left her “deeply concerned” and her thoughts were with the crew, their families and everyone at the base.

BBC security analyst Mikey Kay described footage of the pilots ejecting being caught 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.

What is RAF Valley?

Getty Images RAF Valley sign next to barbed wire fencing. A blue sign with the words Llu Awyr Brenhinol Y Fali is in the foreground. — Fighter pilots are trained at RAF Valley

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

The MOD describes its No 4 Flying Training School as responsible for training the “next generation of world-class fighter pilots“.

It opened in February 1941 and became a staging post for US aircraft to help the war effort from 1943.

The Prince of Wales was an RAF search and rescue pilot at the Holyhead base from 2010 to 2013 and lived on Anglesey with the Princess of Wales as newlyweds.

He returned in April to mark it 85th anniversary, where he spoke of his “fond memories” of the base.

Separately, a publicly-funded airport operated between Anglesey and Cardiff between 2007 and 2020.

Credit: BBC