Overview

• On July 27 at the nineteenth Gijón Air Festival over San Lorenzo Bay, an EF-18 Hornet performed an inverted, ultra-low pass above San Lorenzo Beach, startling around 250,000 festival attendees.
• Spectators’ videos showed the jet emitting puffs of black smoke as it swooped meters above the sand, prompting screams and widespread sharing on TikTok and Reddit.
• In a July 29 statement, the Spanish Air Force said the maneuver was an emergency bird-strike evasion and part of standard protocols to protect both pilot and public safety.
• The military confirmed that no injuries or aircraft damage occurred during the incident.
• The episode has renewed calls for review of airshow risk management and spectator safety measures at large public events.