An F-16 fighter aircraft crashed during a rehearsal for an annual air show in Radom in central Poland on Thursday, leaving the pilot dead, 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 crashed aircraft belonged to the 31st Tactical Air Base near Poznan, the General Command of the Armed Forces said, adding that no bystanders were injured in the incident.
“Rescue operations were immediately initiated at the scene,” it said in a statement.
A video shows the F-16 performing a barrel roll aerobatic manoeuvre before it lost control and crashed in flames while sliding on the ground.
The accident took place as crowds gathered near the Radom air base to watch practice flights ahead of the main show scheduled for August 30–31.
According to local media, the Radom Airshow scheduled for the weekend has been cancelled after the crash.
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