Spanish Hornet crashes during an air display
An EF-18A Hornet of the 15th Wing of the Spanish Air Force has crashed during a solo display at the Zaragoza Air Base families day on Saturday, May 20th.
The accident, took place at 12:10 local time on Saturday 20th May during a solo display at the Zaragoza Air Base families day. According to the Guardia Civil, the aircraft experienced an unknown technical problem before crashing in an empty field within the perimeter of the base. The pilot who ejected successfully was a captain with more than 1,000 flight hours and received a fracture in the pelvic area and in the lower extremities and currently remains in hospital but his life is not in danger.
The Spanish Hornet Solo Display was due to perform at the Hungarian Kecskemét International Air Show in August and the Belgian Air Force Days in September, at this moment it is unclear how this crash will affect the team’s season.
Spanish Hornet at RIAT 2022
The incident happened when the fighter jet was taking part in the air display at the Zaragoza Air Base families day. The jet was performing a solo demonstration when the incident took place. The event is celebrated at the Zaragoza Air Base every year. The Spanish Air Force also confirmed the incident and made it clear that the pilot ejected from the jet successfully.
“This morning there was an accident at the Zaragoza Air Base involving an F18 from Ala 15. The pilot has successfully ejected and the aircraft has landed within the perimeter of the base. We will continue to inform you,” the Spanish Ministry of Defense wrote on Twitter. The ministry further stated that the pilot was taken to the hospital. “The pilot of the crashed F18 is already in the hospital and his life is not in danger,” the ministry wrote in another tweet.”
The base, which lies about 10 miles outside the city, belongs to the Spanish Air and Space Force. It shares infrastructure with the Zaragoza Airport. in the past, Zaragoza was also used as an emergency landing site for the USA's Space Shuttle..
The Guardia Civil told The Associated Press that one of its patrols was the first to reach the pilot, who fell outside the exterior fence surrounding the airbase. According to the Guardia Civil, the pilot suffered injuries to his legs, apparently because he ejected from a very low altitude. He was transported to the hospital in a helicopter.
The Guardia Civil said it would collaborate with the military in investigating the crash. It said that the initial information provided by the pilot was that the plane had suffered a malfunction.
An original 72 examples of the then McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet were purchased by the Spanish Air Force, deliveries of the EF-18 (E for 'España') commencing in late 1985. These have since been augmented by 24 ex-US Navy aircraft and are deployed as far afield as the Canary Islands. The fleet has been significantly modernised and the Spanish Air Force uses the aircraft, which was also given the local designation C.15, for both the air-to-air and air-to-ground roles.
