A Polish Air Force F-16 fighter jet crashed during a rehearsal for an airshow in Radom, central Poland, on Thursday, killing the pilot.
“A Polish Army pilot died in the crash of an F-16 aircraft—an officer who always served his country with dedication and great courage. I pay tribute to his memory,” Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz wrote on X (formerly Twitter) after arriving at the crash site.
The General Command of the Armed Forces confirmed the aircraft was from the 31st Tactical Air Base near Poznan and that no bystanders were injured in the accident. “Rescue operations were immediately initiated at the scene,” a statement from the command said.
Footage obtained by Polish media showed the F-16 performing a barrel roll aerobatic maneuver before crashing in flames as it slid along the ground. Local media reported that the aircraft hit and damaged the runway at approximately 1730 GMT, leading to the cancellation of the Radom Airshow planned for the weekend.
