Shocking images have revealed the damage caused to an RAF Red Arrow after it was hit by a bird.
The animal smashed a hole in the cockpit just above right next to the pilot's head.
The freak accident took place during the Rhyl Air Show in Wales, with witnesses hearing a "loud pop" just before the damaged plane broke formation.
Red 6 returned to Hawarden Airport following the "bird strike", NorthWalesLive reports.
Red 6's team mates were then left circling Rhyl for a lengthy period of time until they received permission to return back to the Flintshire airport.
Incredible close-up pictures of Red 6 - taken by eagle eyed photographer and Twitter user @welshiedale2022 as the aircraft was heading back to Hawarden - show the extent of the damage to the aircraft.
Addressing the crowd over the event speaker system following the incident, the Rhyl Air Show announcer said the jet had struck a bird, causing "significant damage" to the plane in the process.
The announcer said: "From what I can hear it sounds as if a bird has impacted its (Red 6's) canopy... this generally means that the bird has gone through the canopy and completely shattered it, which means that what he's actually hearing is the wind rushing through the canopy.
"I can't confirm that so don't start tweeting it, or anything like that because I don't know, that's my biggest guess. If that's the case it's quite significant for Red 6 because they are listening to air traffic, air traffic can't hear you, which is why 7 is with him and they'll be guided down with him on his wing.
"The most important part is that it sounds like it didn't go down the engine."
Red 6 was followed to the airport by another member of the team to ensure a safe route home and landing.
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At the end of the broadcast, the announcer added he was "99.9% sure" the Red Arrows "won't continue the display" because it was "too much of an impact on the rest of the team to ask them to then continue after what's happened to Red 6".
His prediction came true as the remainder of the troupe headed back to Hawarden once they were cleared for landing.
All pilots were given a hero's welcome back at Hawarden and treated to a round of applause by bystanders as they disembarked.
