The pilot of an EF-18 fighter jet performed a nail-biting manoeuvre to avoid crashing into a packed beach during an air show.
Over 300,000 turned up to the annual aviation event, which features displays from numerous planes, helicopters, and parachute teams.
But during a presentation of the EF-18 Hornet aircraft, the crowd thought disaster was about to strike.
READ MORE: Huge monitor lizard devours stingray in front of stunned tourists
The pilot approached the beach, flipped upside down and suddenly nosedived towards the beach – pulling up just a few metres from where the beachgoers were standing.
He applied the throttle, engaged the afterburner for extra thrust, raised the nose to regain altitude, and nimbly manoeuvred away from the crowd.
Puffs of smoke spewed from the jet as it tore through the sky.
The near miss took place during the nineteenth edition of the Gijón Air Show held over San Lorenzo Bay in Gijón, Spain, on Sunday (27 Jul).
The Spanish Air Force later clarified that the sudden “evasive manoeuvre” was required due to a flock of birds, as reported by Need To Know.
The pilot, named Captain Botana, spotted several birds as he approached the bay and used “standard protocols to preserve both the integrity of the pilot and the safety of the public”, the force said.
It emphasised that pilots are trained “to react in milliseconds to any unforeseen event” and said in this case “the pilot acted with exemplary speed and professionalism, avoiding a potential impact without compromising the display”.
In a statement, the force added: “Safety is, and will continue to be, our top priority at every air demonstration.”
Captain Botana is a member of Wing 12 of the Spanish Air and Space Force based at Torrejón Air Base in Madrid.
READ MORE: Secret weed farm spotted by cops from police helicopter
