Tejas, the HAL-built indigenous light combat aircraft, crashed while carrying out a sortie during the Dubai Air Show on Friday, killing its pilot. The accident sent shockwaves across India with the Indian Air Force (IAF) ordering a court of inquiry to ascertain the cause of the crash, while condolences poured in from across quarters for the deceased pilot.
The fighter jet crashed to the ground while carrying out an aerial display and turned into a massive fireball in front of spectators. While reactions are coming in on the Tejas crash, a point to ponder is that this is not a standalone incident, and fighter aircraft crashes have taken place across the world during such air shows due to different reasons.
Not a question of Tejas' capabilities
The Tejas crash at the Dubai Air Show (November 2025), where the jet nosedived during an aerobatic display, resulting in the pilot's fatal injuries, is not unique. Since 2010, the US-made F-16, Eurofighter Typhoon, and F/A-18 have also suffered demonstration crashes. Display flying pushes aircraft to extreme, low-altitude limits, making accidents a known, high-risk factor across all major fighter platforms. The latest incident reflects the inherent danger of air displays, not the fundamental airworthiness of the Tejas.
Fight jet crashes during demonstrations in the past
The high-stress, low-altitude, and high-G manoeuvres required for air show displays often push both the aircraft and the pilot to their operational limits, increasing the risk of an accident regardless of the jet's overall safety record. Here's a look at such accidents from the recent past.
2002 Sknyliv Air Show disaster
On July 27, 2002, a Ukrainian Air Force Su-27UB fighter jet crashed into a crowd of spectators at the Sknyliv Airfield near Lviv, Ukraine, during an aerobatics presentation.
F-16 and F/A-18 crashes
The F-16 Fighting Falcon has had multiple crashes during airshow preparations or demonstrations since 2010. One recent example was a Polish F-16 crash during a rehearsal for the Radom Air Show in August 2025.
The F/A-18 Hornet (including Super Hornet/CF-18) too, has had similar instances. A Canadian CF-18 (a variant of the F/A-18 Hornet) crashed during a practice for the Lethbridge air show in July 2010, with the pilot safely ejecting. Other F/A-18-related demonstration accidents have also occurred in the timeframe.
Eurofighter Typhoon accident
On September 24, 2017, Captain Gabriele Orlandi of the Italian Air Force was killed while performing at an air show in Terracina. The pilot did not have sufficient height to recover from a loop, and his Eurofighter Typhoon crashed into the sea.
2022 Rafale crash
In May 2022, two French Air Force Rafale jets from a demonstration team collided mid-air during the Cognac Air Show in France. Both pilots managed to land their damaged aircraft safely, although debris from one jet's severed tail fin fell and damaged a house in a nearby town. An investigation concluded that human and organisational factors, including a deviation from planned manoeuvre parameters and limited air display experience, caused the accident.
