A fighter jet pilot who passed away in a tragic crash while taking part in a loop-the-loop inside an F-16 jet has now been dubbed a legend.

The victim was identified as army veteran pilot Major Maciej Krakowian, who was at the helm of the Polish aircraft when it started to nosedive and exploded after crashing into a runway.

Horrified onlookers in the Polish city of Radom was just 62 miles south of Warsaw they were believed to have been left with their heads in their hands while the horrifying crash unfolded during the airshow rehearsal.

Video from the scene showed the F-16 soaring to higher altitudes before suddenly falling at high speed. The pilot then made some attempts to turn in the air and pull off the stunt, but tragically, it crashed into the ground.

The deadly blast was met with a huge plume of black smoke rising into the sky. Major Krakowian received his initial pilot training from the US Air Force Academy, as shared by new reports of the Polish media.

Since then, he’s been remembered as an expert combat pilot with more than 1000 F-16 flying hours. He is believed to be the leader of the Tiger Demo Team and was recently given the prestigious accolade of the As the Crow Flies Trophy at the Royal International Air Tattoo 2025 in the UK. This pilot was also an instructor at the Polish Air Force’s 31st Tactical Air Base.