“I don’t think it was a problem with the aircraft... it is unheard of,” Krystian Zięć, who personally knew the pilot, Major Maciej “Slab” Krakowian, told TVP World. Zięć described the pilot, Major Krakowian, as “a purely superb human being.” Polish officials said Krakowian, a leading F-16 demonstration pilot, died when his jet went down during rehearsals on Thursday, prompting the air force to ground most of its F-16 fleet. Officials are still investigating the tragic accident to determine the cause of the crash. The biannual Radom Air Show, one of the biggest such events in Europe, has been cancelled following the accident.
