The Spanish F/A-18 fighter crashed to the ground and exploded during a demonstration flight over Zaragoza Air Base.
The Spanish Civil Defense Agency said that the F/A-18 fighter jet crashed at about 12:10 pm (Hanoi time) on May 17 while flying over Zaragoza airbase in the northeast of the country.
The accident happened while the pilot was performing a demonstration for soldiers and relatives at the base. The video shows the F/A-18 flying straight up, then plummeting to the ground and then exploding.
The Spanish Air Force said the pilot ejected the seat before the jet crashed near the runway in the base. Some debris was shot outside the base, but there were no casualties.
An F-18 fighter jet crashed in a Spanish military base on May 20. Video: El Pais
Spanish officials said the pilot of the F/A-18 that crashed was the commander of the 15th Airborne Wing with more than 1.000 hours of flying experience. Local media reported that the man suffered a leg injury and was found conscious and not in danger of life.
This is the 18th F/A-12 crash in Spain in the past two decades. The last time Spain recorded an accident involving an F/A-18 was in 2017, when a fighter jet belonging to a unit stationed at Torrejon de Ardoz crashed shortly after takeoff, killing the pilot.
The multi-role fighter F/A-18 was developed by the US in the 1970s. Early variants could reach a maximum speed of nearly 2.000 km/h, a range of 2.000 km and a combat radius of 750 km. The F/A-18 is equipped with a six-barreled 6mm cannon and nine pylons that can carry a variety of rockets, missiles and bombs.
The Spanish Air Force is operating the single-seat F/A-18A and two-seat F/A-18B for training. These fighters belong to the 15th, 12th and 46th squadrons of the Spanish Air Force.
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