Polish F-16 fighter jet crashes at Radom air show rehearsal: Star pilot killed

Poland mourns as star F-16 pilot dies in Radom crash. The jet exploded on the runway during rehearsal, marking the first-ever Polish F-16 loss. Read more below.

By Aditya Raj Updated: Aug 29, 2025, 12:25 IST

A Polish Air Force F-16 crashed during a rehearsal for the Radom Air Show. The pilot was killed. No bystanders were hurt. This happened on Thursday evening at Radom-Sadków airport in central Poland. Officials say rescue teams moved in fast, but they could not save the pilot.

Time and place

Witness clips posted online show the jet flying a maneuver just before it hit the ground and burst into flames on or near the runway. The crash was around 7:25 pm local time (about 5:25–5:30 pm GMT), during an airshow rehearsal. The runway was damaged.

Official word

Poland’s General Command confirmed the fatality and said no one on the ground was injured: “the pilot did not survive… no bystanders were injured.” Poland’s defense minister, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, paid tribute, calling the pilot an officer who served “with dedication and great courage.”

Government spokesperson Adam Szłapka also confirmed there were no ground injuries.

Who flew the jet

Authorities had not publicly released the name at first. Polish and international media widely identified the pilot as Major Maciej “SLAB” Krakowian, leader of the F-16 Tiger Demo Team. Only weeks ago, he won RIAT’s “As The Crow Flies” trophy for the best overall flying display in the UK. (If officials later issue a formal ID, use that.)

The unit and the aircraft

The display jet belonged to the Polish Air Force’s Tiger Demo Team, tied to the 31st Tactical Air Base at Poznań-Krzesiny. Poland’s F-16 fleet is the F-16C/D Block 52+ version. Reuters recently noted the country operates 48 of them and has a major upgrade plan underway.

Air show status

The Radom Air Show planned for this weekend has been cancelled after the crash.

What videos show (and what we don’t know yet)

Clips on social media appear to show the F-16 performing a barrel roll (some viewers say a loop-like move) at very low altitude, then nosing down and hitting the runway in a fireball. Early reports suggest the pilot did not eject, but investigators have not issued a final report. Please treat any exact “maneuver” labels and “cause” claims as unconfirmed until the accident board speaks.

Cause: It’s too early to say. Aviation writers note that low-level demo flying leaves little margin if speed or angle is off by even a little, and a stall close to the ground can be unrecoverable. But that is general context, not a ruling on this case. Poland has opened an investigation.

Why this event is notable

This is reported as the first loss of a Polish F-16 since the type entered service in 2006–2008.
It happened on Polish Aviation Day (Aug 28), a date of strong meaning for Poland’s air arm.
The pilot was a known display leader who had just earned a top award at RIAT 2025, the world’s biggest military airshow.

Straight answers to the main questions

Was the pilot killed?
Yes. The military confirmed the pilot died.

Were people on the ground hurt?
No. Officials say no bystanders were injured.

What unit was the jet from?
The 31st Tactical Air Base at Poznań-Krzesiny; it was the Tiger Demo Team display jet.

What time did it happen?
About 19:25 local time (around 17:25–17:30 GMT).

Is the Radom Air Show cancelled?
Yes. Authorities called it off after the crash.

Do videos show the moment?
Yes. Clips online show a nose-down impact after a rolling maneuver; the exact sequence and cause are for investigators to determine.

Did the pilot eject?
Initial reporting says no, but wait for the official report.

Background

Poland flies 48 F-16C/D Block 52+ jets and is investing in upgrades to keep them effective and linked with newer F-35s coming into service.
The Tiger Demo Team is the Air Force’s official F-16 display team and is based at Poznań-Krzesiny.
In August, a Malaysian F/A-18D also crashed during training for a separate event; both pilots ejected and survived. That case is unrelated, but it shows how display/rehearsal flights can be risky.

Airshow flying is meant to inspire people. It also pushes pilots and jets near the edges of safe flight, often low and fast. When something goes wrong that close to the ground, there is almost no time or height to fix it. That looks like the kind of tight margin we saw here at Radom. It is why demo teams train hard, brief hard, and still accept some risk. The investigation will tell us if speed, angle, wind, mechanical issues, or pilot workload played a part. Until then, the most honest thing is to avoid guessing and to honor the pilot’s service.