RADOM, Poland – A Polish Air Force F-16 fighter jet crashed during a training flight Thursday evening, killing Major Maciej “Slab” Krakowian, the leader of Poland’s F-16 Tiger Demo Team and one of the country’s most accomplished pilots.
The crash occurred around 7:25 p.m. near Radom, where the team was preparing for the 2025 Radom International Air Show. Poland’s General Command of the Armed Forces confirmed Krakowian’s death and identified him as the pilot of the aircraft.
Krakowian, 39, was widely regarded as one of Poland’s top aviators. Earlier this month, he was awarded the “As the Crow Flies” Trophy at the Royal International Air Tattoo in the United Kingdom for the best overall flying demonstration. With more than 1,000 flight hours in the F-16, he was an instructor at the 31st Tactical Air Base near Poznań and had participated in numerous international missions.
“This is a great loss for the Air Force and the entire Polish Army,” Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said at the crash site. “He was an officer who always served his homeland with dedication and great courage. I pay tribute to his memory. My deepest condolences to his family.”
Prime Minister Donald Tusk was briefed on the tragedy, and President Prabowo Subianto of Indonesia — whose pilots often trained with Poland — also extended condolences.
The accident marks the first time an F-16 has been lost in the history of Polish aviation. An investigation into the cause of the crash is underway.