RAF jet that crashed into the ground and exploded near caravan park ‘was flying without fuel cap’

An RAF Hawk T2 crashed and exploded near Afallon Caravan Park on Anglesey shortly after taking off from RAF Valley, with two pilots ejecting safely and suffering minor injuries. Investigators are examining a claim that the aircraft was missing a fuel cap, raising questions about ground checks, although it is not known whether this caused the crash.

The jet was reportedly making its first test flight after repairs when witnesses saw it trailing flames and moving erratically. Debris from the £20 million aircraft landed near the park, but the caravans were largely unscathed; the RAF grounded its Hawk fleet after the incident before allowing it to resume flying earlier this month.