Tejas fighter jet crashes at Dubai Air Show, pilot killed as crowd watches in horror

The Indian Air Force (IAF) confirmed that the pilot of the aircraft died in the crash.

In a statement posted on X, IAF 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. IAF deeply regrets the loss of life and stands firmly with the bereaved family in this time of grief.”

The force said a Court of Inquiry has been ordered to determine the cause of the accident.

The aircraft — a single-seat Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) — went down around 2:10 pm local time, according to eyewitnesses and videos reviewed by NDTV.

Sources told the channel that the pilot was unable to recover the jet during a negative G-force manoeuvre.

This marks the second crash involving a Tejas fighter in less than two years.

In March 2024, an LCA Tejas crashed in Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer — the first such incident since the aircraft’s maiden test flight in 2001. The pilot had ejected safely in that case.

Earlier this year, on September 25, 2025, India’s Ministry of Defence signed a contract with HAL to procure 97 LCA Mk-1A aircraft — comprising 68 single-seat fighters and 29 twin-seaters — along with associated equipment for the IAF, at a cost of over ₹62,370 crore (excluding taxes). Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2027–28 and will span six years.

Dubai Air Show

The Dubai Air Show is a biennial aerospace exhibition that hosts more than 1,500 exhibitors and over 148,000 industry professionals from around 150 countries. Major global aerospace companies, including Airbus, Boeing, Dassault Aviation, Embraer, Bombardier, Thales, Lockheed Martin and Calidus, regularly participate in the event.