On Wednesday 7 May 2025 at 10.45 a.m., a Hornet pilot from the Lapland Air Command began a flight that took place in the immediate vicinity of Rovaniemi Air Base. The mission was a display flight exercise in which the pilot practices aerobatic maneuvers included in the Hornet display flight.
The fuselage number of the F/A-18 Hornet fighter was HN-409. The flight was interrupted at 10:50 a.m. when the plane crashed in the airport area. The pilot rescued himself on the ejection seat before the plane hit the ground.
The plane crashed to the ground on the edge of the runway area, from where it drifted to the corner of the F-35 construction site, which is part of the Lapland Air Command base, where there were no buildings or people.
Quickly after the crash, the rescue units of both the Lapland Air Command and Finavia were at the scene of the accident. The fuselage of the plane was on fire when rescue units arrived. Rescue units immediately began extinguishing the fire.
The pilot parachuted into the airfield area and walked into the vehicle of the Lapland Air Command’s rescue unit. The Air Force’s medical staff quickly began checking the pilot’s condition, and the ambulance transported him to the Lapland Central Hospital for further examinations.
The burning wreck of the plane was effectively extinguished. The accident area was cordoned off by military police and police. Rovaniemi Airport was not closed. To ensure rescue traffic, Lentokentäntie was closed for a while.
The pilot of the plane was slightly injured and has been discharged from the hospital. There were no injuries in the country.
According to Finavia, the accident has no impact on the airport’s operations or passenger traffic. No significant damage was caused in the Air Command’s site area, and the accident will not affect the continuation of construction work.
