The accident occurred as the aircraft, from the 31st Tactical Air Base in the western city of Poznań, was preparing for the international aviation event scheduled to take place in Radom, central Poland.
No bystanders were injured, the General Command of the Polish Armed Forces said in a statement.
"The pilot did not survive; no one else was harmed," the General Command said.
The Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces identified the pilot as Maj. Maciej 'Slab' Krakowian, a top aviator and a leading member of the Polish Air Force’s "Tiger Demo Team."
Thursday's incident marked the first crash involving a Polish F-16 since the country acquired the jets from the United States nearly two decades ago, according to officials.
Prosecutors launched an investigation into the cause of the crash. Military police were also dispatched to the site, public broadcaster Polish Radio’s IAR news agency reported.
Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz travelled to the crash scene.
"A Polish military pilot has died—an officer who always served his country with dedication and great courage," Kosiniak-Kamysz wrote in an X post.
"I pay tribute to his memory and extend my deepest condolences to his family," he added.
President Karol Nawrocki also expressed condolences, calling the crash "a very sad tragedy" and offering prayers for the fallen pilot.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk wrote on X that the death was "a great loss for Poland’s Air Force" and extended "heartfelt sympathy" to the pilot’s family.
Tomasz Siemoniak, the government minister in charge of security services, described the accident as "a tragic evening for Poland’s Air Force," adding that it was the first fatal crash of an F-16 in Polish service.
He said the cause would be investigated by military commissions.
The Radom Air Show, one of Central Europe’s largest aviation events, was set to begin this weekend with participants from several countries.
Following Thursday’s crash, organizers cancelled the event, public broadcaster TVP Info reported.
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Source: IAR, PAP, TVP Info, TVN24