Spanish F18 jet incident: Video shows aircraft nearly crashing into popular European beach
Tourists and locals are lucky to be alive after a military fighter jet was forced to attempt a daring manoeuvre to avoid an explosive crash at a popular European beach
The Spanish Air Force EF-18 Hornet fighter jet was flying as part of the Gijón Air Festival, which pulls in crowds of around 250,000 people annually.
During a display at the San Lorenzo Beach in Spain’s north, the jet approached the sands that were packed with locals and tourists enjoying the Spanish summer.
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The jet can be seen quickly swerving mid-air, before having to again perform an incredibly fast manoeuvre to avoid crashing into the packed beach.
Beach goers could be heard screaming, fearing the military fighter jet was about to cause a deadly explosion.
WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW
The Spanish Air and Space Force released a statement after the near miss, praising the pilot for their quick thinking to avoid a catastrophic incident.
“Our aviators are trained to react in milliseconds to any unforeseen event,” they said.
“In this case, the pilot acted with exemplary speed and professionalism, avoiding a possible impact without compromising the display.”
Vision of the incident quickly flooded social media.
Another angle shows the swarm of birds around the pilot before they quickly made the move.
