Video: Spanish EF-18 Hornet Jet Nearly Crashes Into Crowd During Airshow

A Spanish Air Force EF-18 Hornet fighter jet had a close call after it appeared to lose control and crash during an airshow at a crowded beach in Gijon over the weekend. The incident occurred on Sunday at San Lorenzo Bay in northern Spain's Asturias. Videos of the near crash have gone viral on social media, showing Hornet flying at very low altitude towards the beach packed with spectators, when it executed a hard right roll. 

The sudden manoeuvre made the jet descend lower than normal, making it seem like the jet was losing control mid-air. But the plane soon recovered stability and climbed up. The terrifying footage shows puffs of black smoke rising from the plane, shocking the audience, many of whom had their cameras rolling.

A Spanish F18 nearly crashes during an airshow in Spain this weekend 😨
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🎥©️VISUAIR pic.twitter.com/RN3kKWdk9C

— Virginie Sigonney (@GinieSigonney) July 28, 2025

The Spanish Air Force later took to X to explain what happened at the airshow and said the pilot performed the evasive manoeuvre to avoid hitting birds in the jet's flight path. A bird strike while the Hornet was flying at such a low angle toward a crowd could have resulted in a big disaster, and the pilot's timely actions saved many lives.

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

"Many of you have been asking us, so in this thread, we'll tell you what happened during the Gijon air festival. As you have seen, one of our F-18 fighters performed an evasive manoeuvre 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," the post in Spanish said. 

"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," it added. 

In a similar incident last month, the canopy of a Spanish EF2000 shattered after it took a bird strike during its airshow routine.