The pilot of the F-18 fighter jet that crashed on Friday has died, the Spanish Air Force reports. The accident happened in the province of Teruel, north of Valencia. It is still unclear what caused the plane to crash.
The Spanish Air Force has announced the death of pilot Pablo Estrada MartÃn via X. “Our condolences go out to his family and friends. Rest in peace, comrade,” the air force wrote. It is not known what caused the plane to crash.
According to the Heraldo newspaper , the accident happened around noon near the town of Peralejos. The plane was flying low and the pilot was unable to use the ejection seat in time.
The newspaper El Mundo reports that a flying exercise was taking place in the area. A second plane was said to have been in the air at the time of the crash.
In the same region, two pilots were killed forty years ago in a crash with another fighter plane. A commemoration was planned for those pilots on Monday. It is not known whether the flying exercise was related to the commemoration.
