MADRID, May 21 (Xinhua) -- An F-18 multi-use fighter belonging to the Spanish Air Force crashed on Saturday at the air force base on the outskirts of the city of Zaragoza, northeast Spain, causing injury to the pilot's legs.

The accident happened at around 12:10 p.m. local time (1010 GMT), while the pilot was practicing maneuvers ahead of a forthcoming airshow at the base.

The pilot "has ejected successfully, and the plane has fallen within the perimeter of the base," the Spanish Air Force confirmed, adding that the pilot "is already in the hospital and his life is not in danger."

The aircraft exploded on impact, and the causes of the accident are being investigated.

This is not the first accident involving an F-18 in Spain. There have been several reported accidents with the aircraft since Spain began to use the F-18 in 1986. The most recent accident happened in 2017 when an F-18 crashed on take-off from Torrejon de Ardoz base, killing the pilot.