A Polish Air Force F-16 fighter jet crashed during a rehearsal for an airshow on Thursday. This incident killed a Polish army pilot. The Deputy Prime Minister of Poland, Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, confirmed the incident and expressed a deep sorrow over the great loss in the Air Force.
In a viral video of the jet crash, the seen was performing a barrel-roll aerobatic manoeuvre before falling on the ground. The jet exploded on the ground and turned into a fireball. The jet skidded on the runway for a few metres.
The crash occurred around 1730 GMT, which is 11 pm IST. The accident involved a jet from the 31st Tactical Air Base near Poznan, according to the General Command of the Armed Forces. They added that no passersby were injured in this accident.
The AIRSHOW random 2025 was cancelled, and it was to happen this weekend.
The Deputy Prime Minister informed, through a post on X, that they are at the incident location. In the F-16 jet crash, a Polish army pilot died. The pilot was such an officer who always served the country dedicatedly. He pays tribute to his memory. He offers his deepest condolences to the family and his loved ones.
Yet the deceased pilot’s identity has not been published. The cause of the jet’s collapse is under investigation.
Notably, the incident occurred the day after Poland signed a contract worth $ 3.8 billion to modify its fleet of F-16 fighter jets.
The Polish army published a statement offering its condolences to the family and their loved ones.
