An F-16 fighter aircraft crashed on Thursday during a practice for an annual air show in Radom in central Poland, killing its pilot, a government spokesman said.
“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 after arriving at the crash scene.
The General Command of the Armed Forces said that the accident involved an aircraft from the 31st Tactical Air Base near Poznan and that there were no injuries to any bystanders.
“Rescue operations were immediately initiated at the scene,” it said in a statement.
Footage obtained by Polish media showed the F-16 performing a barrel roll aerobatic manoeuvre, and then crashing in flames as it slid on the ground.
The accident occurred when crowds of locals including aviation enthusiasts had assembled near the Radom air base in hopes of observing practice flights in advance of the main show scheduled for August 30–31.
Local media said the aircraft crashed into the runway around 1730 GMT and damaged it, and the Radom Airshow planned for the weekend has been cancelled.
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