During pre‑AirShow drills at Radom airfield, Major Maciej “Slab” Krakowian tragically crashed an F‑16, halting the scheduled event.
Targeted Practice Moments Before the Accident
On Thursday, August 28, Major Maciej “Slab” Krakowian was rehearsing manoeuvres just a moment before take‑off. The Tiger Demo Team, of which he was a member, released a video a few hours before the tragedy, highlighting the pilot’s preparations. “Radom AirShow is getting closer – and today at 19:00 our Tiger will perform a familiarisation tour over Radom,” the post read.
Tiger Demo Team Post‑Incident Footage
The clip shows the pilot getting ready for a demonstration flight and performing a “dance” across the airstrip – a dry‑run rehearsal of the manoeuvres he would later execute inside the fighter jet. This rehearsal, captured on August 28, is now the only recorded glimpse of the pilot’s final moments.
F‑16 Crash During Pre‑AirShow Exercises
That evening, the F‑16 aircraft crashed during rehearsal at the Radom airfield. Major Krakowian lost his life in the accident. Reported conditions involved extreme speed, noise, and manoeuvres that pushed the aircraft to its limits. The pilot had been heavily promoted as a person embodying professionalism, training, and resilience.
Aftermath and Cancellation of AirShow
The international air show scheduled for 30–31 August at Radom was cancelled by Prime Minister and Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak‑Kamysz after the tragedy. No other public events were conducted.
Krakowian’s Background
Major Krakowian was an experienced pilot, having completed training in the United States and served as an instructor and training commander at the Marcin Grom air base in Krzesin. He accumulated over 1,400 flight hours, 1,200 of which were on the F‑16 platform.
Source: Gazeta, **Kategori:** 34
