A Polish Air Force F-16 fighter jet crashed during a rehearsal for an air show in central Poland, killing the pilot, the army says.
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.
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.
Footage obtained by Polish media showed the F-16 performing a barrel-roll aerobatic manoeuvre, then crashing in flames as it slid on the ground.
Local media said the aircraft crashed into the runway at around 5.30pm and damaged it.
They reported that the Radom air show planned for the weekend had been cancelled.
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