Polish military plane crashes during airshow rehearsals, killing pilot

By Talha Ozturk

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) - A Polish military plane crashed on Friday while rehearsing for an airshow, killing the pilot, the armed forces said.

Social media footage showed an M-346 Bielik crashing into the ground during rehearsals for the Gdynia Naval Aviation Brigade’s 30th Anniversary event in the port city of the same name.

"It is with deep regret that we inform you that today, during an M-346 Bielik training flight at the airport of the 43rd Naval Aviation Base in Gdynia Babich-Doly, Major Pilot Robert ‘Killer’ Jel tragically died," the General Armed Forces Command said on X.

The social media video suggested that Jel did not eject from the plane.

Founded last year, the M-346 aerobatic team debuted at Poland’s largest air show, in Radom, in east-central Poland.