An F-16 combat plane from the Polish Air Force crashed during an trial for an air show in Radom, Central Poland, and the pilot died, the army said Thursday.
“A Polish army pilot died in the accident of an F-16 plane, an officer who always served his country with dedication and great courage. I proceed tribute to his memory,” said Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, in X after reaching the scene of the accident.
The General Command of the Armed Forces said that the accident involved a plane of the 31st tactical air base near Poznan and that there were no injuries for any spectator.
“The rescue operations immediately began on the scene,” he said in a statement.
The images obtained by the Polish media showed that the F-16 made an acrobatic maneuver in barrel roll, and then crashed into flames while sliding on the ground.
The local media said the plane crashed into the track around 1730 GMT and damaged it, and the Radom air show planned for the weekend has been canceled.
