A member of the elite Tiger Demo aerobatic team died instantly while practicing a barrel roll for an airshow that has since been cancelled
The Polish military has confirmed that a Polish Air Force F-16 fighter jet, belonging to the elite Tiger Demo aerobatic team, crashed during rehearsals for the Radom Air Show, killing the pilot instantly.
The incident occurred at Radom Air Base, situated approximately 100 km south of Warsaw, on Thursday at around 7:25 pm local time (5:25 pm GMT), as the pilot was executing a high-speed barrel roll maneuver.
Numerous videos captured by shocked onlookers from various angles showed the F-16 descending sharply with full afterburner before impacting the runway, failing to complete the maneuver. The collision resulted in a fireball and thick smoke rising into the sky as the burning jet skidded along the runway, with no indication that the pilot attempted to eject.
The Polish Armed Forces stated that the jet originated from the 31st Tactical Air Base at Krzesiny, near Poznań. Officials highlighted that no individuals on the ground were injured, and a formal investigation has been initiated to ascertain the cause of the accident.