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

The RAF jet that crashed and exploded yards from a caravan park was flying without a fuel cap, it has been claimed. 

The Hawk T2, reportedly on its first test flight after repairs, failed just moments after taking off from RAF Valley in north Wales last month.    

Two pilots ejected from the plane, which was jerking around erratically, before it plummeted and darted nose-first into the ground with an enormous fireball. 

Debris from the £20million plane was left scattered across the field of Afallon Caravan Park near Rhosneigr, Anglesey. 

It is understood that the missing fuel cap is forming a significant part of the investigation into the jet's crash.

The missing cap was the responsibility of the ground crew. 

A source told The Sun that valves within jet fuel inlets would have stopped fuel from spilling outwards but that it was a 'pretty poor indicator of standards and could speak of wider problems'. 

The source added: 'One of the first things the crash investigators established was a fuel cap was missing.'

Another said: '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?' 

It is understood that the missing fuel cap was part of a gravity-fed inlet, separate from the main high-pressure fuel entrance underneath the fuselage. 

It is not known whether the missing fuel cap caused the accident.  

The Hawk T2 was on a test flight when witnesses reported the jet trailing flames on the runway. 

The two pilots, understood to be studying at the No4 Flying Training School out of RAF Valley, suffered minor injuries after parachuting to the ground.

Gp Captain Gez Currie, Station Commander, said that the aircraft would have been pointed in a direction to avoid hitting anyone. 

'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,' he said. 

The entire Hawk fleet was grounded after the crash but resumed earlier this month. 

RAF Valley, where Prince William was once stationed as a search-and-rescue pilot flying Sea King helicopters, is home to the air force's No4 Flying Training School and is responsible for training Britain's next generation of fighter pilots. 

Local farmer Richard Owen, who owns Afallon Caravan Park, described his dramatic near miss with the wrecked plane. 

The 88-year-old said he was in the kitchen when the initial bang rang out, but at first he 'didn't think much about it'.

He said: 'We are on the flight path and there are planes overhead every day. We're just a couple of miles from the runway.

'But then I heard a second bang and I saw the fire and flames. It landed just on the other side of the park.

'I went out to take a look. There were little bits of wreckage all around the site. The tail section must have blown off and landed next to one of the caravans.

'There was lots of smoke, thick black smoke. I didn't dare to go too close. I was worried about it exploding.'

Mr Owen said he was thankful most of his 30 caravans were empty, and that the vehicles were largely unscathed.

The Hawk T2 is built by BAE Systems and has been used to train British pilots since 2009.

It is described by the RAF as a 'high-performance, two-seat training jet' designed to 'simulate front-line combat aircraft like the Typhoon'.

It is used in training to prepare pilots for complex tactical environments.

The entire fleet was briefly grounded in January 2023 amid concerns after a blade failed during an incident on the runway at RAF Valley.

They were allowed to resume operating the following month.

An RAF spokesman said: 'The Defence Accident Investigation Branch is currently investigating the incident involving a Hawk T2 aircraft crash, which occurred in Anglesey on 23 September 2026.

'It would be inappropriate to comment further while this investigation is ongoing.'