Finnish Air Force pilot ejects safely as F/A‑18 crashes
An F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet of the Finnish Air Force has crashed near Rovaniemi Airport. According to the command, the pilot successfully ejected and is safe. In a conversation with Finland's "Iltalehti," witnesses described seeing plumes of smoke behind the trees and a ball of fire.
Key information
- The accident occurred on 7 May at approximately 9 am GMT in Rovaniemi, northern Finland. The F/A-18 Hornet experienced an aviation accident near the airport.
- The pilot managed to eject and was found unharmed. The Finnish armed forces have confirmed that the pilot is safe.
The Finnish Air Force confirmed on social media that an F/A-18 Hornet jet crashed today near Rovaniemi Airport, within a military area. Fortunately, they emphasize that no one was injured, as the pilot managed to eject in time and was found by rescue services.
The Air Force had scheduled military exercises in Rovaniemi for Wednesday, which were to be observed by the defence ministers of the Nordic countries attending today’s meeting with the Finnish department head, Antti Häkkänen. The main focus of the meeting is cooperation among the air forces of the Nordic countries. Following the accident, the Finnish Ministry of Defence announced it would not comment further on the incident beyond the statements posted on social media by the Air Force.
Smoke and a ball of fire instead of a fighter jet
In an interview with "Iltalehti," local residents recounted the events. They reported that the airport area was closed shortly after 9 AM Finnish time, with ambulances, police cars, and the military quickly arriving on the scene. Plumes of smoke were visible behind the trees.
"It was at the height of the treetops, and a moment later, it turned into a ball of fire. Then smoke appeared," said a local resident about the fighter jet.
The F/A-18 Hornet is the main aircraft of the Finnish Air Force. These 62 ageing Hornets, in service since the 1990s, are scheduled to be gradually replaced by F-35 fighters ordered from the USA. The first batch of new aircraft is expected at the start of 2026.
As Business Insider points out, this is yet another incident involving this aircraft type. Previously, an American fighter of this model slipped into the Red Sea from the deck of an aircraft carrier, forcing the pilots to eject.
