The F-16 belonged to the 31st Tactical Air Base near Poznan. Videos of the crash quickly went viral on social media. (Videograb)
A Polish Air Force F-16 fighter jet crashed on Thursday evening during a rehearsal for the AirSHOW Radom 2025 in central Poland. The accident killed a Polish Army pilot and forced authorities to cancel the upcoming airshow.
The incident occurred around 1730 GMT (11:00 p.m. IST). The F-16 belonged to the 31st Tactical Air Base near Poznan. Videos of the crash quickly went viral on social media.
The video shows the F-16 performing a barrel-roll aerobatic manoeuvre before losing control. The jet dropped rapidly, hit the ground, and exploded into a huge fireball. The burning aircraft skidded on the runway for a few meters.
No bystanders were injured in the crash, according to the General Command of the Armed Forces.
Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister, confirmed the tragedy. He rushed to the accident site and shared the news on X (formerly Twitter).
“In the F-16 plane crash, a Polish Army pilot died - an officer who always served his country with dedication and great courage. I pay tribute to his memory. To the family and loved ones, I offer my deepest condolences,” he posted.
“This is a great loss for the Air Force and the entire Polish Army,” he added.
The weekend airshow in Radom was one of Poland’s biggest aviation events. Following the accident, organisers announced its cancellation. Thousands of aviation fans who were waiting to attend will now miss the event.
This tragedy comes just a day after another military aircraft crash. On Wednesday, an F-35 stealth fighter jet went down during a training flight. The pilot managed to eject safely in that case.
The back-to-back crashes of advanced fighter jets have raised questions about safety during high-performance training and airshows. Investigations are essential, according to aviation experts, to determining whether pilot error or technological problems caused these crashes.
The Polish Armed Forces said the reason behind the crash is still unknown. A special commission will now examine flight data, wreckage, and video recordings to find the cause.
Until then, Poland’s Air Force and Army are mourning the loss of a decorated pilot whose dedication and courage have been publicly praised.
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