Polish Air Force M-346 Demo Aircraft Crashes in Gdynia

Footage circulated online shows the M-346 Bielik crashing into the ground during its display rehearsal.

Today, during a rehearsals for the Gdynia Naval Aviation Brigade’s 30th Anniversary event, Polish Air Force’s M-346 Demo Team jet crashed during its flying display.

❗Dziś na lotnisku w Gdyni podczas lotu treningowego M-346 Bielik uderzył w płytę lotniska. Trwa akcja ratunkowa❗ pic.twitter.com/ZfaiexuXei

— Dowództwo Generalne (@DGeneralneRSZ) July 12, 2024

No further details regarding the accident were provided by the official sources, other than the General Command’s Statement that the rescue is underway. The footage available online and posted on social media suggests that the pilot did not eject.

Widok z płyty lotniska M-346 Bielik w Gdyni pic.twitter.com/VsakNicTTW

— Bartek (@Bartek71065132) July 12, 2024

Masakra 😬 wypadek samolotu wojskowego w Gdyni #wypadek #samolot #gdynia #fa50 pic.twitter.com/G0UQVFBv6d

— Przemek Szawlowski (@prz3m0sk1) July 12, 2024

#gdynia Polish M346 just crashed here.. pic.twitter.com/JqxxlDaztv

— Django Bruinink (@DjangoBruinink) July 12, 2024

The M-346 Demo Team

The M-346 Demo Team, Poland’s newest aerobatic team, was founded in 2023 and debuted at the largest air show in Poland, the Air Show in Radom. The team comprises two Demo Team pilots, Major Adrian “Chudy” Chudziński and Major Robert “Killer” Jeł, who are instructors training cadets at the Air Force Academy in Dęblin. Both have over a thousand hours of flight time on the M-346 “Bielik” aircraft. The team also includes technicians and commentators.

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Their primary task at the 41st Air Training Base is flight training for future fighter aircraft pilots, destined for the F-16 and F-35. “We don’t fly this aircraft aerobatically every day. We do it additionally, out of a passion for flying. It gives us great joy and fun, and if we can make others happy with it, we reach the peak of our dreams,” said Major Robert Jeł in a post published by the Polish Air Force website.

The typical airshow routine of the M-346 Demo Team lasts about 10 minutes and aims to showcase the agility and power of the aircraft.

Update 14.00 GMT

The Polish Armed Forces have confirmed that Maj. Robert “Killer” Jeł lost his life in the crash.

Odszedł na „Wieczną Wartę”… Z głębokim żalem zawiadamiamy, że dzisiaj podczas wykonywania lotu treningowego M-346 Bielik na lotnisku 43 Bazy Lotnictwa Morskiego w Gdyni Babich-Dołach zginął tragicznie mjr pil. Robert „Killer” Jeł.

Łącząc się w żałobie i smutku przekazujemy… pic.twitter.com/F698yYfIFc

— Dowództwo Generalne (@DGeneralneRSZ) July 12, 2024