The RAF is investigating a crash involving one of its high-speed Hawk fighter jets after two of its pilots ejected and parachuted from their plane moments before it hit the ground, bursting into flames.

The RAF said training on these sorts of jets had been "temporarily" paused as a "precautionary measure".

North Wales Police said the pilots, who had been flying a training aircraft, were being treated for minor injuries. Both were doing well and were expected to make a "full recovery", the RAF said on Thursday.

While an investigation is under way, here is what we know about the crash so far - and what the footage shows us.

The Hawk T2 aircraft had been flying out of the RAF Valley base on Anglesey when it plummeted to the ground at nearby Pencarnisiog.

RAF Valley is used to provide both basic and advanced fast-jet training.

Mikey Kay, a BBC security analyst who also served in the RAF for 20 years, said the area was "perfectly situated for training pilots" and was part of the "low-flying system".

There are 20 low-flying areas - also known as tactical training areas - according to the Ministry of Defence. They are located in central Wales, northern Scotland, the borders area of southern Scotland and northern England.

RAF Valley is also close to the Machynlleth Loop - a series of valleys between Dolgellau in Gwynedd and Machynlleth in Powys.

The loop, also known as the Mach Loop, is an attraction for aviation enthusiasts and photographers.

"These pilots, they train in low level, they train in instrument flying, formation flying, general handling - so that area, the Anglesey area, and its accessibility to all of those landscapes for the requirement of training is perfect," said Kay.

The jet involved was Hawk T2 - a two-seater training jet by BAE Systems used for advanced jet training and designed to have similar controls to the Typhoon fighter jet.

It comes with an advanced "glass cockpit" and the aircraft is also used for the "most advanced fast jet training for RAF pilots", according to the RAF.

The older version of the T2, the Hawk T1, is also used by the Red Arrows, which the BBC understands are also included in the pause. However, they were not due to fly again until Le Touquet Airshow in France this weekend. It is unclear when the restriction will be lifted.

The incident involved an RAF Hawk T2 aircraft flying out of RAF Valley

Kay, a former RAF pilot who grew up three miles from RAF Valley, shared video on social media appearing to show flames rising from the rear of the T2 jet, external as it rolls down the runway before the crash.

As the jet climbs, the flames seem to disappear. It is unclear how long after take-off the pilot's ejection took place.

Kay told the BBC that the Hawks were non-reheated jets, meaning they did not have a secondary combustion system that injects fuel directly into the exhaust stream, giving the jet a big, short-term boost in thrust - known as afterburn in the US.

It was different to an F18 or a Tornado, from which orange flames will come out, Kay explained.

"You never ever see flames coming out of the back of a Hawk," he said, adding that in the video, the flames can be seen coming off the side of the engine - where the main hydraulics system is, which controls how the plane flies - and not out of the engine.

Kay says that while it was too early to say, it was possible that the cause of the crash was not an engine failure.

Kay told the BBC that the video he shared on X also showed a red and white van parked on the side.

He said that van was not part of air traffic control, instead being used by spotters, and therefore would not have been able to directly communicate with the jet nor the authority to tell it to abort the flight.

Kay said the van did have a direct line to air traffic control, but "by the time that conversation has happened, the jet is already airborne".

The two pilots were able to eject themselves before the plane crashed

A video of the crash shared on social media appears to show the two pilots ejecting from the aircraft before it nosedives, crashes and bursts into flames.

The footage shows a plume of smoke and fire erupting as the aircraft hits the ground, appearing to narrowly miss residential properties.

Kay - who hosts the BBC's Security Brief - described footage of the pilots ejecting being caught on camera as "quite remarkable" and said the pilots' ejection seat was "one of the big lifesavers in this whole story".

He said there were two options for ejection that can be taken in a T2 jet - which usually involved an experienced pilot trainer and a student.

One option involved both pilots ejecting individually by pulling a black and yellow ring placed between their legs on the jet. The second option was called "command ejection", in which one pilot ejects both seats, with whoever sitting at the back going first.

Once the pilot decides to eject the seats, it sets off a miniature detonation cord (MDC), a thin explosive line that is used to shatter the canopy of a jet in the event of an emergency, according to Kay.

"The aircraft seat is designed for the pilot to be able to eject at zero speed and zero height, and that will allow enough time for the parachute to inflate, and then the pilots hit the ground," he added.

"As far as I'm aware this is the first known case of this variant, the T2, ejecting pilots out of it," he said, adding that the safety record for these jets was "obviously very good".

RAF pauses fighter jet training after two pilots eject from plane before crash