Hawk Jet from RNAS Culdrose crashes into trees

The two occupants of the Hawk ejected from the plane just seconds before it crashed into trees at St Martin near Helston at around 10am this morning. Miraculously it did not catch fire and no one was badly injured.

The crash took place in a field not far from Gear Farm, between Mawgan and St Martin. The jet could be seen landed in a tree. People were asked to stay away from incident site by police.

Devon and Cornwall Police said two people at the scene in the St Martins area of Helston were treated by ambulance crews and were taken to hospital.

Emergency services attend a field near Helston, Cornwall, where a Navy jet crashed this morning. Picture SWNS

The force tweeted: “Emergency services are currently in the St Martins area of Helston following reports of a plane crash. Public are asked to avoid the area whilst first responders attend the scene. Two people have been treated by ambulance at the scene and will now be taken to hospital. Their injuries are not currently thought to be life-threatening or changing.”

Picture issued by Cornwall Air Ambulance showing a parachute in a tree of one of the pilots of a Royal Navy Hawk jet which crashed in woodland in Cornwall. 

The Packet was told by police at the scene that one of the pilots has been taken to Derriford Hospital while another was described as "walking wounded".

The South Western Ambulance Service has confirmed that it had treated the casualties at the scene and that they would be taken to hospital. Cornwall Air Ambulance was also in attendance as well as Coastguard 924 helicopter.

Eyewitnesses reported hearing two loud bangs as the two pilots ejected and the plane flipped before hitting the ground.

The immediate aftermath of the crash was captured by off-duty firefighter Mark Nattrass

One of the first people on the scene was off-duty firefighter Mark Nattrass who told the Packet how he saw the Hawk come down over his house.

"I was home in my workshop," he said "and heard this great big bang, it was a double bang, must have been the ejector seats going.

"I came out of my workshop looked up and saw the plane coming over.

"I live right next to where it went down. I saw it come over, bank to the side and it hit the ground.

"Because I am a firefighter I drove over straight away. Amazingly there were no flames and I began to wonder if I had hallucinated it all. Because there was no smoke or flames it was difficult to find where it was.

"That's why I took the photo because there was aviation fuel everywhere and I thought it was going to burst into flames."

Wreckage is seen at the site of a crashed Hawk jet in Helston. Picture SWNS 

Twitter user Layla Astley, who saw the crash, said: "I saw the plane flying low over our house, I heard a clunking sound, it flew on over our fields and then there was a loud crack and we saw two pilots ejecting, I watched as their parachutes opened. I then saw the plane bank left and over the top of a hill before hearing a very loud bang.

"There was no smoke or fire and I hear from locals that thankfully no one was seriously hurt.”

The woodland where the plane crashed. Picture Kathy White

An investigation has now been launched by the Ministry of Defence who said in a statement: “Two pilots are being checked by medics after ejecting from a Royal Navy Hawk aircraft from 736 Naval Air Squadron during a flight from RNAS Culdrose. An investigation will begin in due course. We won’t be providing further detail at this time.” 

Air ambulance and Coastguard Helicopters at the scene

Defence Minister Johnny Mercer told the BBC the crash was due to "suspected engine failure".

"There's nothing more to it than that," he said. "They've had a problem, they've ejected, they've been picked up.

"We're assessing them and we'll have more information in due course."