"The pilot has successfully ejected and the aircraft has landed within the perimeter of the base." the ministry said.
A video of the crash was uploaded to Twitter. It shows the F-18 fighter jet attempting to climb but then stalls and falls back to Earth, impacting the ground in a massive fireball at Zaragoza Air Base.
Spanish AF F-18 Hornet impacted the ground near Zaragoza Air Base today. Pilot was able to successfully eject. 😳pic.twitter.com/YzDHgHrC8V
— Thenewarea51 (@thenewarea51) May 20, 2023
AP News said the F-18 was "training for a flying exhibition when the incident occurred."
According to the Guardia Civil, the pilot ejected at a low altitude and survived but suffered leg injuries.
The Guardia Civil said the accident is under investigation.
Spain has 84 of the US-made F-18s in service as part of air defenses since the 1980s.
