---
title: "Polish F-16 crashes during airshow rehearsal"
description: "WARSAW, Aug 28 (Reuters) - A Polish Air Force F-16 fighter jet crashed during a rehearsal for an airshow in Radom, central Poland, and the pilot died, the army said on Thursday."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Newsdeck"
author: "Reuters"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/reuters/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-08-29-polish-f-16-crashes-during-airshow-rehearsal/"
published: "2025-08-29T05:11:45"
updated: "2025-08-29T05:11:46"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 163
---

# Polish F-16 crashes during airshow rehearsal

> WARSAW, Aug 28 (Reuters) - A Polish Air Force F-16 fighter jet crashed during a rehearsal for an airshow in Radom, central Poland, and the pilot died, the army said on Thursday.

By Reuters · Published 29 August 2025, 07:11 SAST · Updated 29 August 2025, 07:11 SAST

## Key points
- In a tragic twist of fate, a Polish F-16 pilot, celebrated for his valor, met his end in a fiery crash that not only claimed a life but also grounded the weekend's Radom Airshow, leaving spectators with more questions than answers.
- A Polish Army pilot tragically died in an F-16 crash, prompting Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz to pay tribute.
- The incident occurred at the 31st Tactical Air Base near Poznan, with no injuries reported among bystanders.
- Rescue operations were swiftly initiated following the crash, which was captured on video showing the aircraft in a barrel roll before going down.
- The crash, which damaged the runway, has led to the cancellation of the upcoming Radom Airshow.

## Content

"A Polish Army pilot died in the crash of an F-16 aircraft -an officer who always served his country with dedication and great courage. I pay tribute to his memory," Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz wrote on X after arriving at the crash scene.

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 manoeuvre, and then crashing in flames as it slid on the ground.

Local media said the aircraft crashed into the runway around 1730 GMT and damaged it, andthe Radom Airshow planned for the weekend has been cancelled.

(Reporting by Anna Wlodarczak-Semczuk, additional reporting by Karol Badohal, Barbara Erling, Alan Charlish; Editing by Leslie Adler, Cynthia Osterman and Nick Zieminski)