An air of mourning and shock has fallen over Polish military aviation after the tragic crash of an F-16 fighter aircraft, which occurred yesterday afternoon at Radom Airport, 100 km south of Warsaw. The airplane crashed during a practice session ahead of the upcoming Radom Air Show 2025, causing the death of its pilot, Major Maciej "Slab" Krakowian. Polish authorities have officially confirmed the death.

The jet, a Lockheed Martin F-16C Block 52-CF belonging to the prestigious "Tiger Demo Team", was performing a complex series of aerobatic maneuvers, preparing for the display that was to impress the public. According to early reconstructions, the accident occurred at the apex of a low-altitude looping. Upon exiting the maneuver the pilot lost control of the aircraft, which impacted violently on runway 07 of the airport.

The Polish Ministry of Defence and the Air Force General Staff immediately launched an investigation to establish the exact causes of the tragedy. Experts are focusing both on a possible human error, related to the difficulty of the low-altitude maneuver, and on a potential technical failure. Major Krakowian was regarded as a highly experienced pilot and leader of the Polish aerobatic team. 

"Slab" was 35 years old. In service at the 31st Tactical Air Base in Poznań-Krzesiny, he was a very experienced pilot, an instructor and a veteran of NATO missions. He leaves his wife and two children, to whom the condolences of the State and personnel were expressed by Deputy Prime Minister of Poland W. Kosiniak-Kamysz. Following his passing, this edition of the Radom Air Show has been cancelled.