Indian Air Force Tejas fighter jet crashed during a display at Dubai Air Show, killing its pilot. The jet appeared to lose control while performing a low-altitude manoeuvre, leaving no time to eject. Experts say Tejas has an excellent safety record.
What was meant to be a moment of pride and high-octane aviation display at the Dubai Air Show turned into a tragedy on Friday afternoon. An Indian Air Force Tejas fighter jet, performing a demonstration flight, crashed during its manoeuvres, killing its pilot and casting a pall over one of the world’s biggest aerospace events.
Visuals broadcast on multiple television channels showed the aircraft descending at low altitude before striking the ground and erupting into flames. Spectators, officials and delegations from 150 nations watched the scene unfold in stunned silence as thick smoke began to rise from the crash site.
In a brief statement, the IAF expressed its grief:
“IAF deeply regrets the loss of life and stands firmly with the bereaved family in this time of grief. A court of inquiry is being constituted, to ascertain the cause of the accident.”
A Display of Skill – and High Stakes
The Tejas was performing a flying demonstration as part of India’s participation at the prestigious biennial air show. The display was meant to showcase India’s indigenous fighter program — a platform that has attracted overseas interest and is expected to eventually become the backbone of the IAF.
Retired Captain Shyam Kumar, Defence & Flight Safety Expert, described the high-pressure environment in which such demo flights occur:
“As I said, the aircraft was in a Dubai airshow in a display mode and the best of the manoeuvres are undertaken during such manoeuvres because we are displaying our might, our credible aircraft performance to the many witnesses. There are many, 150 nations were participating in this airshow. They were looking at this aircraft as a potential buyer for their own country.”
According to him, the pilot was likely executing a demanding manoeuvre close to the ground — something performers at air shows often push toward the limits to demonstrate control, agility and thrust.
Was There Time to Eject?
As reports confirmed the death of the pilot, one question was repeatedly raised: why was he unable to eject?
Captain Kumar cautioned that the situation may have unfolded too quickly:
“The aircraft was doing its manoeuvre which was close to the ground and probably trying to place itself for the next manoeuvre… At that moment, the aircraft has gone out of control and crashed into the ground and rolled forward as it has a lot of forward speed.”
He explained that by the time the jet entered an unrecoverable position, the altitude and time available may have been too small for the pilot to safely eject.
“So chances of ejection also could be very, very, the time available would be very less for the pilot. Probably he was very sure that he will recover the aircraft from close to the ground to a higher height and place itself for the next manoeuvre.”
A Record of Safety – and the Need to Wait
The Tejas programme began in 1984, with the aircraft formally cleared for flying in 2011. In more than two decades of operational testing and induction, the IAF has recorded only two crashes involving the platform.
Captain Kumar reminded that by global standards, Tejas remains a highly reliable fighter system:
“This is the second crash of the Tejas and this is the first fatal crash of the Tejas Mark 1 aircraft in Indian Air Force history. So I must say that it is a safety-proven aircraft, thrust-wise, manoeuvrability-wise, flying skills-wise of the pilot and its performance that we have seen in past few years.”
“I must say, as far as flight safety record of the aircraft is concerned, we measure it into 10,000 hours of flying versus aircraft,” he added.
He also urged restraint amid speculation:
“There could be many factors which would reveal the real self of the accident. So we’ll have to wait for it and then only we would be able to analyse the real cause of the accident.” “This may roll into many gossips which I must like to curb at this moment and wait for the court of enquiry to say the evidences and the results or the cause of the fatal accident.”
Official Response and Condolences
The Indian military leadership immediately expressed condolences. Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan stated that the armed forces “stand firmly with the bereaved family in this time of grief.”
Authorities in Dubai also confirmed rapid emergency response and containment operations at the site.
The Legacy of Tejas – and the Road Ahead
The crash has momentarily overshadowed India’s major push to increase the Tejas footprint internationally. The aircraft, developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, is meant to spearhead the Indian Air Force’s future fleet, with orders already placed for 83 Tejas MK-1A fighters and another 97 recently approved in principle.
As the aviation world waits for the court of inquiry findings, Captain Kumar summed up the perspective many experts share:
“Whether it is a technical slag, engine failure, stalling, or control failure, or lastly you can say the error of judgement… all this would be revealed during the court of enquiry and we must wait for that to tell us about the exact cause of the accident.”
For now, the tragedy serves as a reminder that behind every dazzling airshow display lies immense skill, pressure and risk — and that every loss, especially of a pilot in uniform, is deeply personal for the nation.