An RAF jet that crashed in Wales this morning smashed down just yards from caravans and alarmingly near a family home, the landowner has revealed.
Richard Owen, 88, who owns Afallon Caravan Park near Rhosneigr, Anglesey, described his lucky escape from the flaming debris – which remains scattered across his field.
The Hawk T2, reportedly on its first test flight after repairs, plummeted to the ground moments after taking off, with witnesses reporting a ‘big bang’ and trailing flames.
The two pilots forced to eject were seen parachuting to the ground in spectacular footage.
Mr Owen said he was in the kitchen when the initial bang rang out, but he at first ‘didn’t think much about it’.
He said: ‘We are on the flight path and there are planes overhead every day. We’re just a couple of miles from the runway.
‘But then I heard a second bang and I saw the fire and flames. It landed just on the other side of the park.
‘I went out to take a look. There were little bits of wreckage all around the site. The tail section must have blown off and landed next to one of the caravans.
A huge piece of debris, seemingly from the plane’s tail, landed just yards from a caravan
A large pile of twisted metal was still burning when locals went to inspect it
‘There was lots of smoke, thick black smoke. I didn’t dare to go too close. I was worried about it exploding.
‘We have about 30 holiday caravans here but hardly anyone on the site, just two couples. This time last year we were very busy and I dread to think what could have happened.
‘The caravans don’t seem to be damaged at all. Just a couple of them are affected by the smoke. It took the RAF police some time to get here. Probably about 15 minutes.
‘But the helicopter came to the field where the parachutes landed very quickly. They were only a minute or two.’
Both crew, understood to be in training, were being treated for minor injuries this afternoon.
A local source said the plane had ‘just been repaired after a faulty component.’
The said: ‘This was the a test flight and they realised pretty quickly that something was wrong. It was a very lucky escape for all involved.’
Onlookers described seeing flames pouring from the training aircraft after it took off from nearby RAF Valley.
Footage shows the jet jerking violently as it careers through the air before the two servicemen eject simultaneously. Seconds later, the Hawk begins a steady plunge before crashing in a fireball, leaving a huge plume of smoke.
Farming influencer Gareth Wyn Jones posted a picture on social media appearing to show two ejected crew members parachuting to the ground.
‘Hope everyone is ok,’ he wrote. ‘Rhosneigr, big bang, jet on fire out of control and two parachutes??’
Aviation security expert Julian Bray told the Daily Mail it was too soon to know the cause of the crash, but said it ‘had to be pretty serious because both of them bailed out’.
‘Something has gone wrong by the angle of the aircraft in the stalled position,’ he added.
‘It might have flamed out, the engine might have given up. It’s less likely, but it’s possible it was a bird strike. Or a malfunction somewhere – but these aircrafts are looked after like babies.’
Both pilots ejected safely after the Hawk T2 training aircraft crashed moments after taking off
Spectacular footage shows the moment both pilots made their escape from the aircraft
An enormous fireball erupted as the jet crashed near the village of Rhosneigr on Anglesey
One witness said they had watched the jet take off and told his wife ‘it’s in trouble as I could see flames’.
He wrote: ‘We watched it climb then as it was parallel with us, it started to pitch up violently twice… then both pilots ejected and the Hawk crashed about a mile away.’
Another, Pete Bennett, told North Wales Live: ‘I knew straight away that it was in trouble – right on take-off there was an orange flame and as it accelerated it was basically on fire.
‘As it gained altitude the flame disappeared but it was clearly in trouble.
‘It climbed at an aggressive pitch. It pitched twice violently in the air and then there were two clear loud bangs.
‘The pilots ejected and both parachutes opened.’
North Wales Police has warned people to avoid the area ‘until further notice’.
It added: ‘Local officers are in attendance to reports of an incident involving an aircraft in the Pencarnisiog area of Anglesey, alongside colleagues from North Wales Fire and Rescue Services, Welsh Ambulance Service University Health Trust and Helimed.
‘Two pilots are being treated for what are thought to be minor injuries, and at this stage there are no reports of any wider damage or injuries.
‘Please avoid the area until further notice. Updates will be issued when appropriate.’
Witnesses described seeing flames coming from the Hawk T2 training aircraft after it took off from RAF Valley
The pilots were located shortly after the crash and are being treated for minor injuries
The Hawk T2 plummeted to the ground moments after taking off, with witnesses reporting a ‘big bang’ and flames coming from the jet
The aircraft jerked violently before careering vertically towards the ground
A separate video posted on Facebook shows a Wales Air Ambulance helicopter landing in a field close to the incident.
A Royal Air Force spokesman said: ‘An incident involving an RAF T2 Hawk aircraft, flying out of RAF Valley, occurred near Anglesey. An investigation is under way and we will not comment further at this time.’
Mr Bray told us the initial white flash seen in the video as the plane descends is the initiation of the Martin Baker ejector seats, fitted as standard in all Hawk T2s.
‘You can see the aircraft is definitely not right and so the two pilots decided to eject.
‘So what they do is they pull a lever and the rest of it is automatic. There’s a rocket under the seat and the rocket explodes, fires them up into the air as the plane is going quite fast. They have to eject very, very quickly or they will get sliced by the tail fin.’
The Baker seats, made by a British firm, have saved the lives of more than 7,800 service personnel across the globe since development.
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting posted on X and said: ‘An investigation is underway. My thoughts are first and foremost with the pilots. We will provide further updates in due course.’
North Wales Fire and Rescue Service issued an update on Wednesday afternoon and said the blaze is now ‘under control’.
A spokesperson said: ‘North Wales Fire and Rescue Service crews and officers attended at an incident involving an aircraft in the Pencarnisiog area of Anglesey, working alongside colleagues from Royal Air Force, North Wales Police, Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust and Wales Air Ambulance.
‘The fire is now under control.
‘Members of the public are asked to avoid the area while emergency services continue their work safely.’
RAF Valley, where Prince William was once stationed as a search-and-rescue pilot flying Sea King helicopters, is home to the RAF’s No4 Flying Training School and is responsible for training Britain’s next generation of fighter pilots.
The Hawk T2 is built by BAE Systems and has been used to train British pilots since 1976.
It is described by the RAF as a ‘high-performance, two-seat training jet’ designed to ‘simulate front-line combat aircraft like the Typhoon’.
It is used in training to prepare pilots for complex tactical environments.
The entire fleet was briefly grounded in January 2023 amid concerns after a blade failed during an incident on the runway at RAF Valley.
They were allowed to resume operating the following month.
