F-16 fighter jet pilot killed in fireball crash at Polish air show rehearsal

A Polish Air Force F-16 fighter jet pilot was killed when his aircraft crashed during a rehearsal for an air show in central Poland.

The General Command of the Armed Forces said the accident, at Radom, involved an aircraft from the 31st Tactical Air Base near Poznan and that there were no injuries to any bystanders.

The jet was seen performing a barrel-roll aerobatic manoeuvre before dropping to the ground, where it exploded, then quickly sliding along in a fireball.

Defence minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz wrote on social media after going to the crash scene: “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.”

Rescue operations were immediately launched at the scene, according to army chiefs.

Local media said the aircraft crashed into the runway at around 5.30pm.

They reported that the Radom air show planned for the weekend had been cancelled.