"This morning, there was an accident at the Zaragoza Air Base involving an F-18 … The pilot successfully ejected and the aircraft landed within the perimeter of the base," the military said on social media.
"The pilot of the crashed F-18 is already in the hospital and his life is not in danger," it added.
A regional daily, Heraldo de Aragon, reported that the pilot was drilling maneuvers ahead of an air show when the jet span out of control.
A video published by the daily shows the plane nosedive and crash into the tarmac. The pilot was able to eject before the aircraft turned into a giant fireball. The paper said he received multiple injuries to his legs, hips and arms.