A Polish Air Force F-16 fighter jet crashed on Thursday, and airshow rehearsals in Radom, central Poland killed a Polish pilot. Poland’s deputy prime minister, Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, confirmed the news and expressed his sadness over the “great loss for the Air Force.”
In the viral video of the crash, the jet is seen performing a barrel-roll aerobic operation before falling to the ground, where it explodes and turns into a fireball. According to NDTV, the jet was wrapped in fire and slid several metres down the runway.
The aircraft crashed into the runway around 1730 GMT and was damaged. The planned Radom Air Show over the weekend has been cancelled.
The incident reportedly occurred around 1730 GMT at 11pm. The accident involved an aircraft from the 31st Tactical Air Force Base near Poznan, said the general command of the military. The bystanders were not injured, they added.
MNA/