Polish Air Force jet crashes in Gdynia, pilot fails to eject; Horrific video surfaces

New Delhi: During rehearsals for the Gdynia Naval Aviation Brigade’s 30th Anniversary event, a Polish Air Force M-346 Demo Team jet tragically crashed. Footage circulating online shows the M-346 Bielik crashing into the ground during its display practice. Official sources have not provided further details about the accident, but the General Command has confirmed that a rescue operation is underway. The available footage suggests that the pilot did not eject before the crash.

What is the M-346 Demo Team?

Poland's M-346 Demo Team, established in 2023, is the nation's newest aerobatic team. They made their debut at the Air Show in Radom, the largest air show in Poland. The team features two experienced pilots, Major Adrian “Chudy” Chudziński and Major Robert “Killer” Jeł, both of whom are instructors at the Air Force Academy in Dęblin with over a thousand hours of flight time on the M-346 “Bielik” aircraft. The team also includes technicians and commentators who support their aerial displays.

Video surfaces on social media

The video of the incident was posted on social media platform X, by a user named Megatron shared the video claiming that the incident took place during an airshow rehersal in the Poland's city of Gydia.

BREAKING:

🇵🇱 Fighter jet crashes during training flight in northern Poland, pilot's condition unknown pic.twitter.com/1re7qk74kB

— Megatron (@Megatron_ron) July 12, 2024

Masakra 😬 wypadek samolotu wojskowego w Gdyni #wypadek #samolot #gdynia #fa50 pic.twitter.com/G0UQVFBv6d

— Przemek Szawlowski (@prz3m0sk1) July 12, 2024

Primary mission is to conduct flight training

The primary mission of the M-346 Demo Team is to conduct flight training for future fighter aircraft pilots at the 41st Air Training Base. These pilots are being prepared to fly advanced aircraft like the F-16 and F-35. Despite the rigorous training schedule, the team members perform aerobatic maneuvers out of a deep passion for flying. Major Robert Jeł expressed this sentiment, saying, “We don’t fly this aircraft aerobatically every day. We do it additionally, out of a passion for flying. It gives us great joy and fun, and if we can make others happy with it, we reach the peak of our dreams,” as stated in a post on the Polish Air Force website.

M-346 Demo Team's airshow usually lasts for 10 minutes

The M-346 Demo Team's airshow routines typically last about 10 minutes, designed to highlight the agility and power of the M-346 aircraft. Their performances are intended to captivate audiences and demonstrate the aircraft's capabilities.

The recent crash is a significant loss for the Polish Air Force and highlights the risks associated with aerial displays and training exercises.