RAF pilots eject as stricken Hawk crashes in fireball. VIDEO Dramatic footage captures the moment the crew escape their Hawk T2 before it plunges to the ground near RAF ValleySeconds from disasterIt looks like a scene from a movie — but this was real. Dramatic footage has captured the terrifying moment two RAF pilots ejected from a stricken Hawk training jet just seconds before the aircraft plunged to the ground and exploded in a huge fireball. The Hawk T2 had taken off from RAF Valley on Anglesey when witnesses saw flames coming from the aircraft. Video shows the jet climbing before suddenly pitching violently. Then, in an extraordinary sequence, both crew members eject almost simultaneously, their parachutes opening as the aircraft continues tumbling towards the ground. ‘It was basically on fire’Eyewitness Pete Bennett told North Wales Live that he knew something was wrong almost immediately. He said there was an orange flame as the aircraft accelerated and that it appeared to be “basically on fire”. The jet then climbed sharply and pitched violently twice before two loud bangs were heard. The pilots ejected and both parachutes opened before the aircraft crashed nearby. Both pilots surviveThe two aircrew were located after ejecting and are being treated for what police described as minor injuries. Emergency services rushed to the Pencarnisiog area, with police, firefighters, ambulance crews and air ambulance teams attending. North Wales Police said there were no reports of wider injuries, while firefighters later confirmed the blaze was under control and urged people to stay away from the area. The RAF confirmed the aircraft was a T2 Hawk operating from RAF Valley and said an investigation was under way. The cause remains unknown. The aircraft that trains fighter pilotsRAF Valley is home to No. 4 Flying Training School, where pilots undergo advanced fast-jet training before moving on to frontline aircraft. The Hawk T2 is a two-seat trainer designed to replicate many of the demands of modern combat aircraft and is used to prepare pilots for aircraft including the Typhoon and F-35B. That makes the footage particularly striking. These were not pilots casually taking a training flight. They were undergoing the final stages of preparation for flying Britain's frontline fighter aircraft. The ejection that saved themThe most remarkable part of the incident is what happened in those final seconds. With the aircraft apparently no longer under control, both pilots made the decision to eject while they still had enough altitude for their parachutes to deploy. Moments later, the Hawk was on the ground and engulfed in flames. The investigation will now have to establish what went wrong — but for the two pilots, the crucial decision was made in time. Source: Daily Mail, Sky News, North Wales Police and RAF
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