An F-18 fighter jet has crashed at the Zaragoza airbase in Spain, erupting into a giant fireball near a busy highway. The pilot flying the plane managed to eject before the disaster and is thought to be safe. The local Heraldo de Aragón said that the pilot suffered injuries to his leg while no other injuries have been reported following the crash.
The pilot has been transferred to the Zaragoza Military Hospital.
The crash took place during an exhibition show for military families at the base.
The pilot had been carrying out exhibition maneuvers during the event when the crash took place around 12:10pm local time.
Chilling footage of the crash shows the F-18 nosedive toward the ground near a dense urban area.
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One eyewitness @cajsasl tweeted: “I just saw an F-18 crash at the Zaragoza airbase, just off the highway.
“The pilot has been seen jumping.”
The jet smashed into the ground before a giant fireball can be seen across the city.
Footage showing a huge plume of smoke billowing into the sky quickly spread on social media.
Both the Zaragoza Civil Guard Command and the Aragon Police Headquarters confirmed the incident.
They added that the plane crashed inside the air base premises, without causing any harm to the civilian population.
It remains unclear what caused the dramatic crash.
The Civil Guard claimed the pilot suffered “some problem” and lost control of the plane.