MURCIA, SPAIN – A Spanish Air Force jet of the Patrulla Águila Aerobatic Team has crashed into the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of La Manga, Murcia in southeast Spain on February 27, The Aviationist reports. The pilot was killed in the accident.

The Spanish Air Force (SAF) Patrulla Águila Aerobatic Team CASA C-101 Aviojet crashed into the sea on Thursday afternoon around 4:00 PM local time, killing the team’s solo pilot #Águila5 – Commander Eduardo Fermín Garvalena Crespo. The jet crashed into the Mediterranean Sea within a mile of the coast of La Manga, about 20 miles southeast of the city of San Javier in Murcia, Spain.

The Ejército del Aire (SAF) soon released a statement on Thursday, saying that a C-101 jet of the Academia General del Aire – the Spanish Air Force Academy – was involved in the accident.

A falta de finalizar las tareas de búsqueda, lamentamos informar que nuestro compañero, el comandante Eduardo Garvalena Crespo #Águila5 ha fallecido.
Nos unimos al dolor de sus familiares y amigos DEP ¡Vuela alto compañero! pic.twitter.com/oQ39eOqTzx

— Ejército del Aire (@EjercitoAire) February 27, 2020

Later on Thursday, the SAF confirmed that the crashed jet was one of the 7 jets flying for the aerobatic team – Águila #5, the solo jet of Patrulla Águila. The team is stationed at San Javier Air Base, located east of the city of San Javier and about 11 miles northwest of the crash site.

The Patrulla Àguila – Spanish for ‘Eagle Patrol’ – is currently preparing for the start of the 2020 airshow season, and Commander Eduardo Fermín Garvalena Crespo was practicing some maneuvers when he suddenly lost control of his aircraft.

It’s unclear what caused the aircraft to crash into the sea.

The crash is under investigation by the Spanish military air crash investigation agency CITAAM (Comisión para la Investigación Técnica de Accidentes de Aeronaves Militares).

Mensaje del JEMA a los aviadores:
"Ha fallecido un miembro de nuestra familia… el comandante Garvalena ha caído en accidente de aviación…pese a esta gran tristeza que nos embarga seguimos trabajando…os animo a seguir con ilusión y profesionalidad" https://t.co/K3fnNDzTxZ pic.twitter.com/f76LFn8yUB

— Ejército del Aire (@EjercitoAire) February 28, 2020

The Patrulla Águila team says farewell to their friend, colleague and team member – Commander Eduardo F. Garvalena Crespo – in a beautiful and emotional video:

Vuela alto amigo Ayo.Comandante Eduardo F. Garvalena Crespo.Aguila 5. Solo de nuestra y vuestra Patrulla. Siempre estarás en nuestro corazón pic.twitter.com/qbzLdkcH0C

— Patrulla Águila (@patrullaguila) February 28, 2020

☆☆☆

(Head image: Patrulla Águila #5 – Commander Eduardo Fermín Garvalena Crespo – at RAF Fairford during RIAT 2018 – © Jerry Taha)