An EF-18 of the 15th Wing of the Spanish Air Force crashes during an exhibition in Zaragoza

@DefAviation ES 5·20·2023 · 14:21 0

A McDonnell Douglas EF-18M Hornet fighter of the 15th Wing of the Spanish Air Force crashed today, resulting in the destruction of the plane.

The impressive aerial exhibition of a Spanish EF-18M fighter explained by its pilot
A video shows the process of removing an engine from a Spanish EF-18M Hornet fighter

The accident, which took place at 12:10 UTC+2 during an exhibition at the Zaragoza Air Base, has been recorded, and in the video you can see the moment in which the plane plummets and explodes upon impact with the ground:

Here is another video of the accident recently published by Aviación Digital:

At 13:11 UTC+2, the Spanish Air Force reported: "The pilot ejected successfully and the plane fell within the perimeter of the base."

In a second message posted at 1:20 p.m., the Spanish Air Force has noted: "The pilot of the crashed F18 is already in the hospital and his life is not in danger."

According to information shared by Air Traffic Controllers, the pilot is a Captain with more than 1,000 flight hours. The pilot would have suffered various injuries of varying degrees to his legs.

+ UPDATED 14:56h: The newspaper Heraldo de Aragón points out: "The plane has fallen at the head of runway 3/0 R and some remains of it have scattered outside the military compound". That same newspaper publishes a photo gallery showing the wreckage of the plane. A witness to the accident has posted on Twitter a photo showing some plane wreckage along a nearby road:

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Photo: Ejército del Aire.