A Royal Air Force pilot escaped with just a dislocated shoulder after a midair crash with another member of his aerobatic team in Greece, officials said. The other plane landed safely.

The pilot from the Red Arrows team ejected before his Hawk jet crashed in a field at Kastelli air base on the island of Crete, the Greek air force said.

"The pilot parachuted under ideal conditions which is why he just dislocated a shoulder," Greek air force spokesman Dimitris Tsirogiannidis told AFP.

"Our estimates is that the accident was caused by a mid-air collision and the pilot jumped from a height of 300 metres (1,000 feet)," he said. "He has just been examined at a local hospital and we are on standby to transfer him to Athens if it is deemed necessary, but his condition is not serious."

"The crash site will be examined by a British inspection team and we will provide every assistance," Tsirogiannidis said. The remaining eight Red Arrow Hawk jets landed safely at Iraklio airport, some 22 miles away.

In London, the Defence Ministry said the incident occurred during a training flight but offered no clues on the cause.

"We can confirm that an incident has occurred involving the Red Arrows whilst undertaking pre-season training at Hellenic Air Force Base Kastelli in Crete," a ministry spokeswoman said. "One pilot ejected and has been taken to hospital, the other landed safely," she added.