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RAF Harrier crew forced to eject
10.02.09
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Two RAF pilots were injured when they were forced to eject from their aircraft in Cyprus.
The crew members from 20 squadron were training at the British air force base in Akrotiri when their plane crashed on the runway.
They were forced to eject and were taken to The Princess Mary's Hospital with "non-life-threatening" injuries, a spokeswoman for the British armed forces in Cyprus said.
Their Harrier jet has been left "non-operational" and an investigation is being carried out, she added.
The squadron, normally based at RAF Wittering in Cambridgeshire, is responsible for Harrier training and is on the island on exercise.
The spokeswoman said: "The crew ejected safely and are being treated for non-life-threatening injuries."
She would not reveal any further details about the pilots involved.
Akrotiri airfield opened in 1956 and is a permanent base for 84 Squadron, which performs search and rescue duties as well as supporting UN peacekeeping forces on the island.
It is also used by the RAF for training and as a staging post for transport aircraft.
Display team the Red Arrows practises at the base from late March each year.
