Overview
- Both aircrew successfully activated their ejection seats seconds before impact and were taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham with injuries described as minor.
- The Hawk T2 advanced trainer departed RAF Valley and developed visible flames and severe control problems shortly after takeoff before crashing in a field near Pencarnisiog/Llanfaelog on Wednesday, September 23.
- Emergency services including Wales Air Ambulance, coastguard units and fire and rescue teams secured the scene while North Wales Police established a cordon to protect the site and the public.
- The RAF has opened a formal investigation to determine the technical and operational causes of the failure and officials have said they will release findings as the inquiry progresses.
- RAF Valley hosts No. 4 Flying Training School, so the incident raises questions about training-flight risks and will focus scrutiny on maintenance, ejection systems and pilot procedures as investigators examine what went wrong.