An RAF Hawk T2 jet worth £20 million crashed after the fuel cap was reportedly left off before take-off, an investigation has found. The two pilots ejected to safety, steering the stricken aircraft away from buildings before it exploded.
A million RAF jet crashed in a horrifying incident after ground crew reportedly forgot to replace the fuel cap, an investigation has revealed. The Hawk T2 erupted in a massive fireball following the crash in September, with the two pilots heroically steering the stricken aircraft away from nearby buildings before ejecting as the plane exploded close to RAF Valley in North Wales.
It has now emerged that the missing fuel cap is being blamed on the ground crew, with a source revealing it forms a “significant part of the investigation” into the disaster. As reported by The Sun, the source said: “It’s a pretty poor indicator of standards.”
The jet came down shortly after taking off from the Anglesey base on September 23, climbing unevenly and catching fire, forcing both an experienced pilot and a trainee to pull their ejection handles.
Both crew members parachuted to safety, escaping with only minor injuries. The aircraft then nosedived and exploded into a massive fireball, crashing into farmland near Pencarnisiog and the Afallon Caravan Park, in Llanfaelog.
Investigators have since established that the fuel cap had not been replaced prior to take-off, causing the jet to ignite as it climbed away from the runway. The aircraft had been conducting a test flight following a separate incident on September 11, reports the Express.
While it remains uncertain whether the missing fuel cap was the primary cause of the crash, the RAF confirmed an investigation was underway, stating: “It would be inappropriate to comment further while this is ongoing.”
Several sources meanwhile suggested a “major engine failure” could be responsible.
One source revealed: “One of the first things the crash investigators established was a fuel cap was missing. There are valves built into jet fuel inlets to stop fuel spilling outwards. But it’s a pretty poor indicator of standards and could speak of wider problems.”
Another source warned: “Safety is everything in aviation. This plane should never have taken off without its fuel cap. You have to pray it’s a one-off. But if a fuel cap can be left off, what else can be?”
Group Captain Gez Currie, station commander at RAF Anglesey, confirmed the pilots directed the aircraft “away from built-up areas” prior to ejecting. He added: “The aircraft would have been aimed in a direction that the pilot believed was open field, in order to avoid built-up areas and anybody on the ground.”
Following the crash, the RAF’s Hawk T2 fleet now stands at 26 jets.
The entire fleet was grounded in the wake of the incident before resuming flying operations on October 8.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Rich Knighton had previously voiced his concerns about the jets back in 2003, stating: “We don’t get what we need from Hawk today,” and adding: “We have problems with engines and support.
“Frankly, I would like to replace Hawk T2 as soon as we can to deliver a more relevant, more reliable training capacity, so I don’t have to send pilots overseas.”