Video Shows RAF Hawk T2 Trainer Crew Ejecting Before Jet Crashes

The incident occurred shortly after the Hawk departed from RAF Valley on a training mission.

By Thomas Newdick

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Photographed here is a 3-ship flight of Hawk T2 aircraft from 4 Squadron (Sqn) at Royal Air Force (RAF) Valley on 05 July 2024. The flight was to conduct a Flypast over a ceremony at St John’s, Isle of Man on Tynwald Day, the National Day of the Isle of Man. In celebration of Tynwald Day, a Ceremony is attended by the Lieutenant Governor (presiding and representing His Majesty The King, Lord of Mann), the President of Tynwald, the Chief Minister, all the ministers and Members of House of Keys and Members of the Legislative Council. The Captains of the Parish also attend, plus all the key players on Island. The three aircraft returned via the Mach loop and performed a tour of the Anglesey Coastline, flying over Penmon Point, Traeth Llanddwyn, Traeth Mawr and the Menai Straits.
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A U.K. Royal Air Force Hawk T2 training jet crashed in the Pencarnisiog area of Anglesey, North Wales, on Wednesday after both pilots ejected from the aircraft.

Videos captured of the incident show the aircraft porpoising at a slow speed and high angle of attack, before the pair ejected. The Hawk appears to narrowly miss homes before impacting the countryside and bursting into flames, with thick black smoke visible afterward.

Local police said the two pilots were being treated for minor injuries and that there were no reports of wider damage or additional casualties. Emergency services, including Coastguard and Wales Air Ambulance helicopters, responded to the scene.

The crash occurred near RAF Valley, where the RAF operates its Hawk T2 advanced jet trainers as part of fast-jet pilot training. The station is home to No. 4 Flying Training School. The Telegraph reports the incident happening “shortly after takeoff.”

The Royal Air Force confirmed that the incident involved one of its Hawk T2s flying out of RAF Valley.

“An investigation is under way and we will not comment further at this time,” the RAF said.

Wreckage from the aircraft has been located at the crash site. Police have asked the public to avoid the area while emergency services remain at the scene.

The circumstances surrounding the crash, including what caused the aircraft to go down and the nature of the flight, have not yet been established.

The Hawk fleet has experienced previous technical issues.

In 2022, engines were removed from service amid concerns over potential in-flight failures, while the 28-aircraft RAF Hawk T2 fleet was temporarily grounded in January 2023 following an engine-related incident at RAF Valley.

In 2024, then-Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton said he wanted to replace the Hawk T2, citing problems with its engines and support and concerns about the reliability of the training capacity it provided. The Hawk T2 is due to be retired by 2040.

Those previous issues are not known to be connected to Wednesday’s crash.

This is a developing story.

Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com

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Thomas Newdick

Staff Writer

Thomas Newdick is a staff writer at TWZ, where he covers military aviation, defense technology, weapons systems, and international security. Based in Berlin, Germany, he reports on conflicts, military modernization efforts, and emerging aerospace technologies around the world, with a particular interest in airpower and its role in contemporary warfare. His reporting is informed by deep expertise in modern and historical airpower, particularly in Europe, with a focus on military aviation, air campaigns, and aerospace developments across the continent and beyond.

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