Spanish F/A-18 Hornet Seen Nearly Crashing Into Surf During Beach Airshow (Updated)

Yahoo

3 days ago

A Spanish Air Force F/A-18 Hornet (EF-18 is Spain's designation for the jet) had a very close call during a remote airshow performance in picturesque Gijón. The Hornet was flying at very low altitude towards the beach, which was packed with spectators, in a near-perpendicular fashion, when it executed a hard right roll. The sudden maneuver saw the jet descend low above the waves before recovering and climbing out. Clearly it shocked the audience, many of whom had their cameras rolling.
Hey @Aviation_Intel what do you think about this video from an F-18 of Spain Ejército del Aire in an air show in Gijón ? It was a near crash or not? pic.twitter.com/pPZkjU2McM
— Godofredo de Bouillon
(@g_bouillon) July 28, 2025
The incident does showcase one of the Hornet's most notable flying qualities, its ability to point its nose at extreme angles of attack (high-alpha), especially during lower-speed maneuvers. If it weren't for the F/A-18's ability to do this, there is a real possibility the pilot and their aircraft would not have survived. If the jet, or pieces of it, had careened into the beach, it would have been a massive disaster.
Sustaco
pic.twitter.com/6Lqk2oOSFl
— Q*bert (@Cotidianeous) July 27, 2025
The first time I saw the video, it did not have the hallmarks of a major mistake in a routine, such as entering a maneuver below the prescribed altitude, or a pilot 'hot dogging' in front of a crowd. Spain's air arm is a professional service, and the idea that one of its fighter pilots would do such a thing, especially in front of thousands of people, is unlikely. Also, doing such a maneuver flying at a perpendicular angle to the crowd is extremely dangerous as the jet's momentum could take it across the showline and into the crowd. This risk is usually briefed at every airshow.
It's also worth noting that Spain lost a Hornet during a practice flight for an airshow routine back in 2023.
When looking at numerous videos very closely, it appears that the pilot may have actually been avoiding birds in the jet's flight path. This would explain the rapid hard roll. A catastrophic bird strike while flying at this angle toward the crowd could have resulted in a big disaster.
Seems there's a bird that crosses in front just before the plane nearly become inverted. Wonder if the pilot was instinctively trying to avoid it and maybe others, forgetting quite how close he/she was to the ground? https://t.co/4TFkwuMfzh
— Gareth Jennings (@GarethJennings3) July 28, 2025
Muchos nos habéis estado preguntando, por eso, en este hilo, os contamos qué pasó durante el festival aéreo de Gijón.Hilo
pic.twitter.com/oyY2ZNESEA
— Ejército del Aire y del Espacio (@EjercitoAire) July 28, 2025
Just last month, a Spanish EF2000 took a bird strike during its airshow routine, shattering the canopy. You can read about this incident here.
We have reached out for an explanation on what happened. We will update this post if we receive more information.The Spanish Air Force has taken to X to explain what happened, and our initial analysis was correct. See below (translated via X):
'Many of you have been asking us, so in this thread, we'll tell you what happened during the Gijón air festival.
As you have seen, one of our F-18 fighters performed an evasive maneuver upon detecting a flock of birds in its path. This action is part of the standard protocol to preserve both the pilot's safety and the public's security.
Our aviators are trained to react in milliseconds to any unforeseen event. In this case, the pilot acted with exemplary speed and professionalism, avoiding a possible collision without compromising the exhibition.
Safety is, and will continue to be, our top priority at every air show. Thank you to all attendees for your enthusiasm and trust. Let's keep flying together!'
Muchos nos habéis estado preguntando, por eso, en este hilo, os contamos qué pasó durante el festival aéreo de Gijón.Hilo
pic.twitter.com/oyY2ZNESEA
— Ejército del Aire y del Espacio (@EjercitoAire) July 28, 2025
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