Overview
- A Hawk T2 training jet from RAF Valley crashed in the Pencarnisiog area after both crew ejected and were found and taken for treatment for injuries described as minor.
- Emergency crews including North Wales Police, fire crews, Welsh Ambulance Service and air rescue units fought the post‑impact fire, secured the scene and located wreckage in a field near the base.
- The RAF opened a formal accident investigation and has temporarily stopped all Hawk T1 and T2 flying as a precaution while investigators examine causes and maintenance records.
- Multiple witnesses and video show the jet pitching violently after takeoff with visible flames before both pilots ejected, providing key evidence investigators will use alongside wreckage and engine data.
- The crash puts fresh strain on a Hawk fleet that has suffered engine reliability and availability problems, including past blade‑wear issues on the Rolls‑Royce Adour engines, and comes as the MoD seeks a Hawk successor with procurement work already under way.