A sunny day at San Lorenzo Beach in Gijón, Spain, turned tense during an airshow when a Spanish Air Force fighter jet suddenly dived low over the water, coming dangerously close to the crowd.
The incident happened on July 28, 2025, during the Festival Aéreo Internacional de Gijón, one of the city’s biggest airshows. Over 300,000 people had gathered to watch performances by the Spanish Air and Space Force and other aviation units.
During a routine flight, an EF-18 Hornet appeared to lose control and suddenly dropped toward the beach. A video captured the moment it swooped low, alarming spectators. Seconds later, the aircraft pulled back up, trailing dark smoke behind it.
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 thought the jet had a technical issue, but the Spanish Air and Space Force later explained that the dive was part of a safety maneuver. They said the pilot acted quickly and professionally to avoid any possible danger to both himself and the crowd.
In a statement shared on social media platform X, the Force wrote:
“Our pilots are trained to react in milliseconds. In this case, the pilot showed great skill and avoided a crash without affecting the rest of the show.”
Hoy en el Festival Internacional Aéreo de Gijón podía haber ocurrido una desgracia, si no es por la pericia del Capitán Botana a los mandos del F18 Superhornet. 🙌🏻
Se comentaba que algún pájaro pudo haber tenido la culpa. ¿Qué opináis?@GijonAirshow @A3Noticias @lanuevaespana pic.twitter.com/PkzU07kxU3
— VISUAIR (@Visuair) July 27, 2025
Thankfully, no one was hurt, and the aircraft returned safely to its base.
Interestingly, such incidents are not rare during airshows. Just last month, a Spanish Eurofighter Typhoon hit a seagull during a performance at the Aire25 airshow in Murcia. The bird shattered the cockpit’s glass, and the pilot had to make an emergency landing. The pilot was safe, but the aircraft suffered heavy damage.
Read more: Watch: Alaska Airlines Flight Hits Deer During Runway Landing at Kodiak Airport
According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), between 2016 and 2021, there were over 270,000 wildlife-related aircraft incidents worldwide, with over 8,000 causing serious damage. Bird strikes are common at low altitudes near beaches and migratory paths, especially during summer events like this airshow.
Despite the scare, the Gijón airshow continued safely and remains one of the most popular public events in Spain.
