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By Amira El-Fekki and Shane Croucher
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An Indian fighter jet has crashed during a display at an air show in Dubai on Friday, killing its pilot.
The Indian Air Force said on its X account: "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."
Videos and images shared on social media by witnesses captured the crash of a Tejas aircraft at the Dubai Airshow.
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Newsweek has contacted the organizers of the Dubai Airshow, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), which manufactures the Tejas jet, for comment.
Why It Matters
Air show flying displays are highly controlled events and supposed to follow strict protocols for the safety of spectators. Yet accidents still occur. In 2022, a Ukrainian Air Force Sukhoi Su-27 crashed during the Sknyliv air show, killing 77 people, including children, in what became known as the deadliest air show accident in history.
What To Know
The crash occurred at around 2:10 p.m. local time, while executing a maneuver during the airshow that kicked off on Monday.
On Thursday, India’s Press Information Bureau dismissed earlier social-media posts claiming that a Tejas aircraft had an oil leak during the air show, saying they were aimed at discrediting the fighter’s established technical reliability with unfounded claims, according to The Associated Press.
Warning: The videos below contain explicit language.
"If our aircraft can’t even perform basic maneuvers, it raises a much deeper question: Are our pilots being adequately trained on these machines? Are we focusing on the wrong target by blaming the aircraft every time, instead of honestly examining whether something is going wrong in our training, preparation, or protocols?" posted one Indian user on X named Tejasswi Prakash.
The Tejas, India's indigenous aircraft, is a 4.5-generation, all-weather and multi-role fighter aircraft developed by HAL. The Tejas Mk1A advanced version successfully completed its maiden flight on October 17.
Earlier test flights ran into software‑related snags, which forced HAL to make modifications before the aircraft could be fully validated, according to The Times of India. The news outlet added that its formal induction into the Indian Air Force would depend on successful completion of weapons and radar‑integration tests.
India wants to replace its decades-old MiG‑21 fleet with domestically built fighters.
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What People Are Saying
The Dubai government media office wrote on X: "A Tejas fighter aircraft from India participating in today’s flying display at the Dubai Airshow has crashed, resulting in the tragic death of the pilot. Firefighting and emergency teams responded rapidly to the incident and are currently managing the situation on-site."
India’s integrated defense staff headquarters X account said: "General Anil Chauhan, [Chief of Defense Staff] and all ranks of Indian Armed Forces deeply regret the incident in which an IAF Tejas aircraft met with an accident during an aerial display at Dubai Air Show, today. The pilot sustained fatal injuries in the accident. We deeply regret the loss of life and stand firmly with the bereaved family in this time of grief."
What Happens Next
India had a strong presence at the Dubai Airshow, but the accident could affect its pitch for defense exports.
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