Polish F-16 Plunges Into Ground Ahead Of Air Show, Pilot Killed

A Polish Air Force pilot died tragically Thursday after his F-16 fighter jet slammed into the ground ahead of the country’s Radom Airshow.

The pilot, Major Maciej “Slab” Krakowian, died in the crash at approximately 7:25 p.m., according to a statement from the General Command of the Polish Armed Forces obtained by TVP World. He led the well-known Polish F-16 Tiger Demonstration Team and was flying a training sortie. The crash occurred ahead of the team’s performance scheduled for this weekend at AirSHOW Radom 2025, a world-famous airshow held around 65 miles from Warsaw.

The pilot performs maneuvers over the airfield before initiating a steep dive from which he does not recover in time, according to footage posted by Szymon Krawerenda in the Air Show Radon 2025 Facebook group. Bystanders react and watch the immense trail of flames trailing the aircraft after it violently impacts the ground. (RELATED: Video Shows Polish Military Jet Lose Control During Demo, Bursting Into Flames)

Polish Deputy Prime Minister Kosiniak Kamysz was on the scene later Thursday and posted on X. “I am at the scene of the tragedy. In the F-16 plane crash, a Polish Army pilot died – an officer who always served the Fatherland with dedication and great courage. I pay tribute to His memory. To the family and loved ones, I offer my deepest condolences. This is a great loss for the Air Force and the entire Polish Army,” he wrote

On his personal Instagram page, @slab_twindad, Krakowian often posted himself flying and spending time with his family. The pilot, 35, leaves behind a wife and two young boys, Polish General Ireneusz Nowak said in a statement obtained by Wiadomosci.

This accident comes mere weeks after a Spanish Air Force (SAF) F-18 Hornet appeared to nearly crash into a crowd of spectators during an airshow in Gijón, Spain.