Red Arrows grounded after Hawk jet crash

All Hawk T1 jets, including the Red Arrows, have been grounded after a two-seater Navy jet crashed in Cornwall on Thursday morning.

According to Defence Minister Johnny Mercer, it is believed an engine failure forced both pilots to eject from the training aircraft after it left the 736 Naval Air Squadron based at RNAS Culdrose.

Authorities received reports of the aircraft crashing in the St Martin area at around 9.40am.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence said:

“Safety is our paramount concern.

“The RAF has decided to temporarily pause Hawk T1 operations as a precautionary measure, while investigations are ongoing.”

Both pilots were airlifted to hospital.

They are said to be in a stable condition “without significant injury”. Their injuries are not being treated as life-threatening or changing.

Representatives from agencies including Coastguard, Police, Ambulance, Fire and Royal Navy attended to contain and secure the scene.

Speaking after the incident, Chief Inspector of Local Policing in East Cornwall, Pete Thomas said:

“This continues to be a complex scene which has been managed by emergency services throughout the day. My thanks go to those who responded so rapidly this morning and who have worked together effectively to progress the investigation.

“We would ask the public to continue to keep their distance from the area whilst the investigation continues, and enquiries are carried out.”