Crash jet was to join Red Arrows

The crashed Hawk jet was going to be painted in the Red Arrows livery

A Hawk jet that crashed at an RAF base in Lincolnshire on Wednesday was on its way to join the Red Arrows, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.

The accident happened as the plane came in to land at at RAF Cranwell's airfield near Sleaford.

It ended up in the car park at the base but the two crew ejected to safety. They were taken to hospital.

The RAF said one of them had been released, but the other crewman remained in hospital.

They were treated for back injuries in the spinal unit at Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham.

The cause of the crash landing is still being investigated.

Wing Commander Andy McGill said: "The aircraft was on a routine sortie, being delivered to Cranwell to be painted in the Red Arrows livery.

"It was not being flown by a Red Arrows display pilot."

The RAF had planned to add the plane it to a pool of jets used by the aerobatics display team, based at RAF Scampton, just north of Lincoln.