RAF Hawk jet crashes after takeoff from Anglesey base

An RAF Hawk training jet crashed shortly after takeoff from RAF Valley on Anglesey on Wednesday, September 23, after both crew members ejected. The two pilots are being treated for injuries believed to be minor, North Wales Police said. There were no reports of other injuries or wider damage at the scene. The crash occurred in the Pencarnisiog area of Anglesey, in North Wales. Police said officers were attending alongside the Royal Air Force, North Wales Fire and Rescue Services, the Welsh Ambulance Service University Health Trust and Helimed. An air ambulance and coastguard personnel were also reported at the scene. Witnesses described seeing the aircraft climb after takeoff, with one reporting flames and two episodes of violent pitching before the crew ejected. Those observations have not been confirmed as findings by the RAF or investigators, and the cause of the crash has not been established. One witness said both parachutes opened before the aircraft came down about a mile away. Images from the area showed smoke rising from the crash site. The accounts offer a description of the moments before the crash, but do not establish what caused the aircraft to behave as described.