RAF Hawk T2 crashes near Anglesey base, both pilots eject

A Royal Air Force Hawk T2 jet trainer crashed near RAF Valley on Anglesey, North Wales, on the afternoon of September 23, 2026. Both pilots ejected.

North Wales Police said officers were sent to the Pencarnisiog area of the island, and that the two pilots were being treated for injuries thought to be minor. The RAF said the pilots were found soon after they ejected.

An RAF spokesperson confirmed that an aircraft flying from RAF Valley was involved in an incident near Anglesey. An investigation has begun, and the service will not comment further while it is under way.

Emergency crews at the scene included the RAF, North Wales Fire and Rescue Service, the Welsh Ambulance Service and a Helimed air ambulance. The fire service later said the fire at the crash site was under control and asked people to stay away. At the time of the police statement there were no reports of wider damage or other casualties.

RAF Valley is the base for the unit that trains pilots on the Hawk T2 ahead of flying the Typhoon and the F-35B. According to the account, that unit had 28 of the aircraft before the crash, a fleet that has struggled with availability. Flying was halted for a time in January 2023 after an engine problem on the runway at the base, which was linked to wear on blades in the Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Adour Mk 951 engine.

The crash comes as the Ministry of Defence seeks a replacement for the Hawk. The 2025 Strategic Defence Review called for the T1 and T2 variants to be succeeded by a cheaper fast jet trainer, and on August 7, 2026 the ministry issued a request for information as part of that effort.