Polish F-16 crashes during Radom Air Show rehearsal, pilot killed

A Polish F-16 fighter jet crashed on Thursday while rehearsing for an upcoming air show in Radom, central Poland, killing the pilot, government officials confirmed.

“Tragedy in Radom. During preparations for the air show, an F-16 jet crashed. Unfortunately, the pilot has died,” government spokesperson Adam Szłapka wrote on X, adding that the defense minister was on his way to the scene.

The Polish military said no casualties were reported on the ground.

Footage released by Polish media showed the jet attempting an acrobatic maneuver before losing control and striking the runway, erupting into a fireball.

The Radom Air Show, one of Poland’s largest aviation events, is scheduled for this weekend, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) south of Warsaw. Authorities have yet to announce whether the program will be affected.