Major Maciej “Slab” Krakowian, leader of F-16 Tiger Demo Team Poland and close associate of Kamena Rally Team, died Thursday when his plane crashed while preparing for the weekend’s Radom Air Show.

The accident occurred when Krakowian attempted a maneuver but started to lose altitude. He was unable to eject in time before his F-16 hit the ground and burst into flames. Nobody on the ground was injured.

Polish military officials confirmed his death soon after. Prime Minister Donald Tusk gave his “deepest condolences” to Krakowian’s family and loved ones, while Chief of the General Staff Wiesław Kukuła wrote Krakowian was “an officer whom I have heard many times is the best ambassador for Polish aviation. A wonderful pilot full of humility and optimism.”

Kamena Rally Team changed their profile picture on social media to a memorial icon and issued a simple statement: “We lost our friend today.”

F-16 Tiger Demo Team Poland is the official F-16 demonstration team of the Polish air Force, attached to the 6 Eskadra Lotnicza (6th Fighter Squadron) at 31st Tactical Air Base. The team’s air shows have garnered international acclaim, with Krakowian most recently winning the “As the Crow Flies Trophy” at the Royal International Air Tattoo in the U.K.

Krakowian recorded over 1,400 flight hours with 1,200 coming on the Fighting Falcon. He had served in the Polish Air Force for 17 years after attending the Polish Air Force University and United States Air Force Academy.

He and his team had collaborated with Kamena on various air shows and events. At the 2023 Radom Air Show, Tomasz Białkowski and Dariusz Baśkiewicz drove Kamena’s Polaris RZR alongside an MBB Bo 105 while Krakowian flew his F-16 overhead; all three vehicles carried colored flares that created the image of the Polish flag. Białkowski and Krakowian also performed similar stunts alongside the Grupa Akrobacyjna Żelazny aerobic team’s Zlín Z-50s to celebrate Poland’s Independence Day.

More recently, Krakowian and Bo 105 helped unveil Kamena’s DAF Bull that they will race in the 2026 Dakar Classic. The team was preparing the truck for this weekend’s Baja Poland at the time of the accident.

Featured image credit: Lukas Szwarc