RAF Hawk T2 crashes near RAF Valley; both crew eject

A Royal Air Force Hawk T2 training aircraft crashed in a field near RAF Valley on the island of Anglesey in North Wales. Both crew members ejected and were seen descending under orange parachutes, according to images and video from the scene.

Air ambulance and coastguard search and rescue aircraft were activated as standard procedure. One of RAF Valley's own helicopters, an Airbus H145 Jupiter HT1 used for search and rescue training, was seen operating shortly after the crash. How the two crew members were recovered was not immediately clear.

An eyewitness told a local news outlet the jet appeared to be in trouble almost immediately after takeoff. The witness described an orange flame as the aircraft accelerated and said it looked to be on fire. The flame disappeared as the jet climbed at a steep pitch, the witness said.

The aircraft pitched twice violently, followed by two loud bangs at roughly 800 feet. The crew ejected and both parachutes opened. The jet rolled to starboard and descended before hitting the ground about a mile away, the witness said. The aircrew landed roughly halfway between the runway and the crash site. A large fire and black smoke followed the impact, and video footage showed the aircraft tumbling toward the ground.

The source did not identify the crew members or give their condition, and no cause for the crash has been stated.