Crashed Hawk jet 'was steered into open field to avoid built up areas' before two RAF pilots ejected out of aircraft as it plummeted to the ground

An RAF fighter jet was steered into an open field to 'avoid built-up areas' before two pilots ejected from the plane as it crashed, an RAF commander has said. The Hawk T2, reportedly on its first test flight after repairs, failed just moments after taking off from RAF Valley near Rhosneigr, Anglesey, yesterday afternoon. Footage shows the two pilots - who sustained only minor injuries -dramatically parachuting from the plane before it plummets and darts nose-first into the ground with an enormous fireball, narrowly missing residential homes. Gp Capt Gez Currie, Station Commander, said today 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. Hawk operations have now been paused by the RAF as a 'precautionary measure' while investigations into the crash continue. The two pilots are expected to make a full recovery after being treated in hospital, accompanied by their families. Giving details of the incident, Currie told the BBC: 'It was a trainee, with a highly experienced instructor on a routine sortie, across the Anglesey area.' An enormous fireball erupted as an RAF jet crashed near the village of Rhosneigr, Anglesey, yesterday A large pile of twisted metal was still burning when locals went to inspect it yesterday Witnesses described seeing flames coming from the Hawk T2 training aircraft after it took off from RAF Valley Gp Capt Gez Currie, Station Commander, said today that the aircraft would have been pointed in a direction to avoid hitting anyoneA sortie is 'one mission, one complete trip', according to the Ministry of Defence. Yesterday, local farmer Richard Owen, who owns Afallon Caravan Park near Rhosneigr, 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. A huge piece of debris, seemingly from the plane's tail, landed just yards from a caravan The Hawk T2 plummeted to the ground moments after taking off, with witnesses reporting a 'big bang' and flames coming from the jetWhile it took the RAF police around 15 minutes to arrive, the farmer reported that a helicopter was with the ejected pilots within 'a minute or two'.A local source claimed the plane had 'just been repaired after a faulty component'.They said: 'This was a test flight and they realised pretty quickly that something was wrong. It was a very lucky escape for all involved.'RAF Valley, where Prince William was once stationed as a search-and-rescue pilot flying Sea King helicopters, is home to the RAF's No4 Flying Training School and is responsible for training Britain's next generation of fighter pilots.The Hawk T2 is built by BAE Systems and has been used to train British pilots since 1976.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.