Radom 2025-08-28
Lockheed Martin F-16 C Block 52+ Jastrząb. Crash.
Photo description: Major Maciej “Slab” Krakowian is at the controls of the aircraft. Airshow on July 6, 2024, in Nowy Targ.
On Thursday, August 28, 2025, at 7:45 PM, a Lockheed Martin F-16 C Block 52+ combat aircraft belonging to the Polish Air Force crashed at Radom-Sadków Airport. The pilot, who did not attempt to leave the aircraft, died in the crash.
Video and photographic footage shows the aircraft performing a vertical maneuver and quickly descending towards the ground. The aircraft’s engine afterburner is activated. The pilot is attempting to bring the aircraft into level flight just above the ground, above the take-off area. In the final fractions of a second, the aircraft can be seen at an angle of attack of approximately 10 degrees relative to its flight path. Unfortunately, the aircraft’s rear fuselage grazes the take-off area, immediately bursts into flames, bounces off the ground, and hits the ground again in a fireball about 100 meters later. The pilot had no chance of surviving this accident.
This type of accident is called a CFIT – Controlled Flight Into Terrain. This means that a functional aircraft collides with the ground while maintaining control. The aircraft is technically operational. The crew has full control of the controls, but it still collides with the ground, water, or an obstacle. An accident usually results from crew error, spatial disorientation, poor situational awareness, or navigational errors. In this case, the aircraft likely stalled at low altitude.
The flight was part of preparations for the Radom AirShow 2025, the largest air show in Poland, held relatively regularly every two years. The Tiger Demo Team’s F-16 pilot was preparing for the airshow this coming Saturday and Sunday. Major Maciej “Slab” Krakowian was at the controls of the aircraft. He was a long-time airshow participant, having served in the Air Force for 17 years. The Major, 35, was an experienced F-16 pilot. Major Maciej Krakowian had over 1,400 flight hours, including approximately 1,200 hours in F-16s. A few weeks ago, he was awarded the prestigious “As the Crow Flies Trophy” at the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT), the largest military aviation event in the world. He leaves behind his wife, Magda, and two twin boys. President Karol Nawrocki, former President Andrzej Duda, representatives of the Council of Ministers, Minister of National Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, expressed their condolences. The airshow has been canceled. Airshow organizers have announced ticket refunds.
This event is a huge blow to the entire Polish Aviation community. It is the first accident involving a Polish F-16 in its nearly 20 years of service. In 2003, Poland ordered 48 F-16 C/D Block 52+ aircraft. The total contract value was $3.25 billion, or approximately PLN 13–14 billion at the exchange rates at the time. The average cost per aircraft is approximately $67 million, which translates to PLN 240–260 million. The price included not only the aircraft but also a training package, armament, and basic logistical support.
Written by Karol Placha Hetman