Tragic Crash of Polish Air Force M-346 Demo Team in Gdynia
Gdynia, Poland – In a tragic incident that has cast a pall over the planned celebrations for the 30th anniversary of the Naval Aviation Brigade, a Polish Air Force M-346 Bielik advanced training aircraft from the M-346 Demo Team crashed during a training session on Friday. The pilot, who did not eject, was fatally injured in the crash.
The accident occurred just before 1 PM, as the aircraft was performing a barrel roll manoeuvre. The weather at the time of the crash was very good, so the pilot was practising a high variant of the show, with a full set of figures. For reasons that remain unclear, the pilot was unable to recover the aircraft from its dive, leading to the fatal crash. There was no attempt by the pilot to eject at the critical moment. The air show, scheduled to take place at the military airport in Babie Doly, was set to begin on Saturday at 9:30 AM and was to feature the M-346 Demo Team, the F-16 Tiger Demo Team, and other aircraft from the Polish Armed Forces.
M-346 Bielik
Radom Airshow 2018
On the Facebook page of the Gdynia Naval Aviation Brigade, Captain Marcin Kolodziejski, the Air Base press officer, made an announcement stating that today, during a training flight commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Gdynia Naval Aviation Brigade, an M-346 aircraft unfortunately crashed at the 43rd Naval Aviation Base in Gdynia Babie - Doly. Currently, a rescue operation is in progress. Consequently, all scheduled events for tomorrow linked to the celebration of the Gdynia Naval Aviation Brigade holiday have been called off."
The M-346 Demo Team is part of the 4th Training Aviation Wing, based at the esteemed 41st Training Air Base in Deblin, Poland. This relatively new demonstration team was formed just last year and made an impressive debut at the 2023 Radom Airshow. Their performance was highly praised, earning them a special award from the General Commander of the Polish Armed Forces—a replica of a knife used by Polish forces during World War II from 1940 to 1944.
The team consists of two highly skilled demo pilots, Major Adrian “Chudy” Chudzinski and Major Robert “Killer” Jel, both of whom are renowned for their experience and talent. In addition to the pilots, the team includes safety observers, a commentator, technicians, and numerous other personnel who work diligently behind the scenes to ensure the success of their demonstrations.
The M-346 Demo Team’s routine typically features a 10-minute display of advanced aerial manoeuvres, including loops, rolls, and high-G turns. These performances are a testament to the pilots’ skill and the dedication of the entire support team.
M-346 Demo Team
Radom Airshow 2023
Besides their scheduled appearances at the aviation events in Poland, the team was also set to showcase their skills at the French Meeting International de la Somme-Hauts in Albert-Picardie on August 23rd and 24th. Following this, they were due to participate at the Belgian Sanicole International Airshow in Hechtel on September 21st and 22nd.
Investigations into the cause of the crash have begun diligently, with experts meticulously examining every detail to unravel the factors contributing to this tragic event.
