An Indian HAL Tejas fighter jet crashed during a demonstration flight at the Dubai Air Show, killing its sole pilot. The incident, witnessed by horrified spectators, resulted in a massive fireball and black smoke, though the air show later resumed.
An Indian HAL Tejas fighter jet tragically crashed on Friday at the start of a demonstration flight in front of a crowd of spectators at the Dubai Air Show, held at Al Maktoum International Airport. The aircraft smashed into the ground, sending a vast fireball and thick black smoke into the sky, and killing its sole pilot. Onlookers, including families, gasped in horror as the plane appeared to lose control and dive directly toward the ground. The Indian Air Force confirmed the pilot sustained fatal injuries and announced that a 'court of inquiry' would be constituted to ascertain the cause, with Emirati crash investigators also participating. Police, ambulances, and a helicopter rushed to the site, using firefighting foam to extinguish the blaze. Despite the tragedy, flight demonstrations at the air show resumed about an hour and a half later. The Tejas is India's indigenous fighter aircraft, built by state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), and is intended to bolster India's fighter fleet. India has signed contracts for 97 and 83 Tejas jets, with deliveries expected to begin in 2027. The incident follows recent social media claims of an oil leak from a Tejas at the show, which the Indian military denied, stating it was routine condensed water drainage. A Tejas fighter jet also crashed in India last year, but the pilot ejected safely in that incident.
