In a tragic incident, Tejas, the Indian indigenously built fighter aircraft, crashed while conducting a sortie at the Dubai Air Show on Friday. The pilot, a Wing Commander, was killed in the accident as they were not able to eject from the aircraft, the Indian Air Force said.
"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. A court of inquiry is being constituted to ascertain the cause of the accident," the IAF said in a statement.
The aircraft, a single-seat light combat aircraft developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, went down at about 2:10 pm local time and 3.49 pm IST. The pilot failed to recover from a negative G-force turn. Negative G force is the force felt in a direction opposite to gravity.
Video filmed during the Dubai Air Show showed the aircraft manoeuvring when it came crashing down to the ground, turning into a massive fireball.
About Tejas fighter jet and how many does India have?
India's Tejas fighter aircraft is a light combat aircraft (LCA) designed and built by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. It is known for its agility, advanced avionics, and a composite airframe that reduces weight and improves performance. The aircraft is used by the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy, and it represents one of India's key steps toward self reliance in military aviation.
This is the second Tejas LCA crash in a span of 20 months in its 23-year history since it first took its test flight in 2001. The first Tejas crash occurred on March 12, 2024, near Rajasthan's Jaisalmer. The pilot was able to eject safely.
The Tejas Mk1 was ordered in a batch of 40 aircraft to HAL. Of these, 38 have been delivered so far. The delivery set included 6 trainer aircraft and 32 single-seat fighters. Out of the 32 fighters, two have been lost in crashes. This leaves 30 fighters remaining in service from the original order.
