A military training plane crashed on Friday in northern Poland, resulting in the death of its pilot. The Aermacchi M-346 Bielik aircraft went down at Gdynia-Kosakowo airport. The Air Force confirmed that the pilot Robert Jel, an experienced flyer with around 2,000 flight hours, did not attempt to eject.
The pilot was preparing for an air show, which has been cancelled following the accident. Videos on social media captured the plane performing aerobatics before crashing and exploding, causing a thick smoke cloud.
The M-346 Bielik is an Italian two-seater aircraft designed by Aermacchi for military pilot training. An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the crash, and flights of this aircraft model have been suspended.
