You expect airshows to be full of jaw-dropping stunts and high-speed thrills—but one recent event in Spain had a moment so unexpected that even the photographer didn’t realize what he’d captured until much later.
At the heart of the incident was a £73 million Eurofighter jet, a seagull, and one split-second collision that sent feathers flying.
Photographer Captures the Exact Moment by Pure Luck
Javier Alonso de Medina Salguero, a seasoned aviation photographer, was snapping shots during a Eurofighter display at the Aire25 international air festival on June 15.
The event took place at San Javier Air Base, located by the beach in Santiago de la Ribera, Murcia.
Javier was using his Nikon D7500 camera with a powerful 200-500mm lens, perfectly positioned among a group of photographers to catch the action.
What he didn’t expect was that he would end up capturing a dramatic—and destructive—moment involving a bird.
A Bird in the Wrong Place at the Worst Time
As the Eurofighter zoomed across the sky, a seagull suddenly crossed its path.
In one chilling frame, the bird appears flying just ahead of the cockpit.
In the very next photo, you can see what Javier later described as a mist of red debris and feathers—a clear sign of a bird strike.
Javier didn’t even realize what had happened until after the flight was cut short and he reviewed the images.
“When I looked at the photos, I was amazed to see the front of the cockpit broken,” he said.
The display had been halted mid-performance, and over the radio, it was confirmed the jet had collided with a seagull.
Jet Damaged But Pilot Walks Away Unharmed
The cockpit of the Eurofighter was visibly damaged from the impact, but thankfully, the pilot managed to safely land the aircraft and was unharmed.
Despite the frightening nature of the incident, there were no injuries—other than to the unfortunate bird.
Not the First Airshow Scare
This isn’t the only time an airshow has made headlines for close calls.
Just last year, on October 3, a terrifying moment was caught on video at the TEKNOFEST airshow in Adana, southern Turkey.
A fighter jet from Turkey’s SoloTurk aerobatics team, flying an F-16, appeared to come dangerously close to the crowd.
Spectators watched as the jet rocked in the air and then suddenly pulled up just moments before potentially hitting the crowd.
Thankfully, disaster was avoided, but the incident triggered an official investigation.
Authorities began reviewing video footage and flight data to understand what went wrong during the maneuver.
A Reminder of the Risks Behind the Spectacle
Airshows may be exciting and awe-inspiring, but these incidents are a stark reminder of just how risky they can be.
Whether it’s an unexpected bird strike or a miscalculated acrobatic move, even highly trained pilots and expensive machines can be vulnerable to nature—and error.