A Polish Air Force F-16 fighter jet crashed Thursday during a rehearsal for an airshow in Radom, central Poland, killing a Polish Army pilot.
A Polish F-16 fighter jet crashed Thursday while preparing for an air show in the central city of Radom, killing the pilot, a government spokesperson said. “Tragedy in Radom, during preparations for the air show, a F-16 jet crashed. Unfortunately, the pilot has died,” Adam Szlapka wrote on X. The defence minister headed to the site of the accident, it added.
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No one on the ground was injured in the crash, according to a statement from the Polish military.
Videos on social media, showed the aircraft performing an acrobatic manoeuvre before crashing onto the runway in a ball of fire. The Radom air show, about 100 kilometres (62 miles) south of Warsaw, is scheduled to take place this weekend.
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Poland Deputy PM Expresses Grief
Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, Deputy Prime Minister of Poland, confirmed the news and expressed grief over a “great loss for the Air Force.”
Through a post on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz informed that they are at the incident location. “In the F-16 plane crash, a Polish Army pilot died – an officer who always served his country with dedication and great courage. I pay tribute to his memory. To the family and loved ones, I offer my deepest condolences.”
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“This is a great loss for the Air Force and the entire Polish Army,” they added.
The cause of the crash is yet to be ascertained.
(With inputs from AFP)