A Polish Air Force F-16 fighter jet went down in a fiery crash during a rehearsal for an airshow, killing the pilot. “Polish Air Force F-16 crashes during a rehearsal for an airshow in Radom, central Poland. The pilot was killed in the accident, a government spokesman said. Polish media said the aircraft crashed into the runway around 1730 GMT and damaged it,” Breaking Aviation News & Videos wrote. “The Radom Airshow planned for the weekend has been cancelled. Government spokesman Adam Szlapka confirmed the pilot’s death on social media platform X but gave no further details,” it added. Watch the footage: Polish Air Force F-16 crashes during a rehearsal for an airshow in Radom, central Poland. The pilot was killed in the accident, a government spokesman said. Polish media said the aircraft crashed into the runway around 1730 GMT and damaged it. The Radom Airshow planned for the… pic.twitter.com/EkZLnfTPPz — Breaking Aviation News & Videos (@aviationbrk) August 28, 2025 “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,” Polish Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said. “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 added. Jestem na miejscu tragedii. W katastrofie samolotu F-16 zginął pilot Wojska Polskiego – oficer, który zawsze służył Ojczyźnie z oddaniem i wielką odwagą. Składam hołd Jego pamięci.Rodzinie i bliskim składam najgłębsze wyrazy współczucia. To wielka strata dla Sił Powietrznych i… — Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz (@KosiniakKamysz) August 28, 2025 Reuters has more: The General Command of the Armed Forces said that the accident involved an aircraft from the 31st Tactical Air Base near Poznan and that there were no injuries to any bystanders. “Rescue operations were immediately initiated at the scene,” it said in a statement. Footage obtained by Polish media showed the F-16 performing a barrel roll aerobatic maneuver, and then crashing in flames as it slid on the ground. “The incident occurred as crowds of locals and aviation enthusiasts gathered near the air base ahead of the official event, scheduled for August 30–31. Multiple angles captured the moment the aircraft executed a steep, high-speed maneuver before suddenly losing control. Within seconds, the jet plunged nose-first into the ground and exploded in a massive fireball, sending thick black smoke into the sky crews rushed to the scene, but despite their immediate response, the pilot had no chance to eject and was killed instantly,” Rawsalerts wrote. “Authorities have since confirmed the fatality and launched an investigation into the cause of the crash. The Radom Air Show is one of Europe’s largest aviation events, drawing international teams and tens of thousands of spectators each year,” the post added. #BREAKING Watch horrifying footage as a F-16 fighter jet crashes bursting in flames training for a upcoming Air Show ⁰⁰#Sadków | #Poland⁰Watch Horrifying footage has emerged showing the tragic crash of a Polish F-16 Tiger Demo jet during rehearsals for the Radom Air Show… pic.twitter.com/mdT3aY6Tjx — R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) August 28, 2025 Al Jazeera noted: Local reports state that the pilot, part of an elite group of NATO air units known as “Tiger Demo”, was not seen ejecting from the plane before the crash. The AirSHOW Radom 2025, which was due to take place this weekend, has been cancelled. Poland first bought US-made F-16s, a jet key to NATO’s defence strategy, in 2003 and has since been in the process of upgrading its fleet amid its boosted defence spending in the wake of Russia’s 2023 invasion of neighbouring Ukraine.