August 22 2025 - During a rehearsal for the Radom airshow, a Polish Air Force F-16 from the Tiger Demo team entered a steep maneuver before plunging into the ground in a devastating crash. The aircraft exploded on impact, leaving no chance for the pilot to escape.
Major Maciej "Slab" Krakowiak, the Polish F-16 demonstration team's leader with more than 1,200 flight hours on the F-16, was killed in the accident after reportedly not ejecting.
It was Poland's first-ever F-16 loss since the fighter entered service, leading to the cancellation of the Radom Air Show and the temporary suspension of non-combat F-16 flights during the inquiry.