New Delhi/Dubai: A festive display of aviation prowess turned into tragedy on Friday afternoon when an Indian Air Force (IAF) Tejas fighter jet crashed during a live performance at the Dubai Air Show. The IAF has confirmed that the pilot succumbed to fatal injuries sustained in the accident.
The crash occurred at Al Maktoum International Airport at approximately 2:10 PM local time, casting a pall over one of the world’s premier aviation exhibitions.
The Incident
According to eyewitness accounts and video footage analyzed by defense observers, the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA)—developed indigenously by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)—entered a rapid, uncontrolled descent during its routine.
Sources indicate that the aircraft failed to recover from a specific maneuver involving Negative G-Force (a state where force is exerted in the opposite direction of gravity). While the Tejas is engineered to withstand such maneuvers, footage suggests the jet went into a “free fall” rather than gliding, leading to a high-impact collision with the ground.
Visuals from the scene showed a plume of thick black smoke rising above the airfield, with the aircraft reduced to charred, mangled wreckage.
Official Response and Inquiry
The Indian Air Force released a statement expressing deep regret over the loss of life.
“An IAF Tejas aircraft met with an accident during an aerial display at the Dubai Air Show today. The pilot sustained fatal injuries in the accident. Indian Air Force deeply regrets the loss of life and stands firmly with the bereaved family in this time of grief,” the statement read.
The IAF has officially ordered a Court of Inquiry to determine the precise technical or human factors that led to the crash.
General Anil Chauhan, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), along with all ranks of the Indian Armed Forces, also extended condolences to the pilot’s family through a statement by the Integrated Defence Staff.
Safety Record and Aircraft Specs
This incident represents the second crash of a Tejas aircraft in less than two years, raising concerns regarding the indigenous fighter program.
- Previous Incident: In March 2024, a Tejas jet crashed in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. That incident was the first in the aircraft’s history since its initial test flight in 2001. In the Jaisalmer case, the pilot ejected safely.
- Ejection System: The Tejas is equipped with a Martin-Baker zero-zero ejection seat, a sophisticated safety feature designed to allow pilots to bail out safely even at zero altitude and zero speed. It remains unclear why the ejection sequence was not successfully initiated or completed in the Dubai incident.
Impact on the Tejas Program
The Tejas is a 4.5-generation multi-role combat aircraft, celebrated for being one of the lightest in its class. It was inducted into the IAF in 2016 with the No. 45 ‘Flying Daggers’ squadron and serves as a cornerstone of India’s efforts to modernize its fleet using domestic technology.
The crash comes at a sensitive time for HAL and the IAF. In September, the Indian government signed a significant contract for 97 additional Tejas fighters, with deliveries slated for 2027. This is in addition to a 2021 agreement for 83 Tejas Mk-1A jets, which are currently facing delivery delays.
The Dubai Air Show, usually a venue for celebrating massive commercial deals—such as recent orders by Emirates and FlyDubai—was briefly brought to a standstill as spectators and officials reacted to the disaster.
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