Two RAF pilots ejected from a Hawk T2 aircraft and parachuted to safety before the plane crashed, North Wales Police said. The incident happened in the Pencarnisiog area of Anglesey, near RAF Valley. Police said both pilots were being treated for minor injuries and that helicopters from the Coastguard and the Wales Air Ambulance were sent to the scene.
Both pilots were taken to Birmingham for further treatment. A statement from the RAF said two crew members were being treated for injuries thought to be minor and that, at this stage, there were no reports of wider damage or other injuries.
North Wales Police urged people to avoid the area until further notice while emergency services continued their response.
Ejection Before the Crash
The RAF said an investigation into the crash was under way and it would not comment further at the time.
An eyewitness, who watched the aircraft take off, told North Wales Live that an orange flame appeared during take-off and the plane then climbed before two loud bangs were heard. The witness said the pilots ejected and that both parachutes opened.
The pilots’ ability to abandon the aircraft is central to the account of what happened, with both crew escaping by ejection seats.
Rescue, Transport and Hospital Care
Police said the emergency response involved Coastguard helicopters and the Wales Air Ambulance.
The two air ambulances that were at the scene after the Hawk T2 crash in Llanfaelog both landed at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham. The hospital is home to the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine (RCDM), which supports military healthcare and trauma treatment.
The RAF’s public position was limited to confirmation of the incident, the start of an investigation, and the statement that the pilots were receiving treatment.
Picture courtesy of Sky News
Investigation and Public Reactions
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said on X that an investigation was under way and that his thoughts were with the pilots.
Reform UK Wales leader Helen Jenner said she grew up in Bodorgan near RAF Valley and described the base as an important part of Anglesey. She said she was deeply concerned and added that her thoughts were with the crew, their families and personnel at the base.
BBC security analyst Mikey Kay said footage of the ejection was “quite remarkable” and described the ejection seat as a key safety measure, noting that it is designed to allow the pilot to eject at zero speed and zero height so the parachute can inflate before landing.
RAF Valley, where the pilots were based, trains fighter pilots. It is also used for maritime and search and rescue operations.
The MOD describes the RAF’s No 4 Flying Training School at the site as responsible for training the next generation of world-class fighter pilots. It opened in February 1941 and later became a staging post for US aircraft from 1943.
Separately, a publicly funded airport service between Anglesey and Cardiff operated from 2007 to 2020
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23 September 2026
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