SRINAGAR: An Indian Air Force Tejas light combat aircraft crashed during a flying demonstration at the Dubai Air Show on Friday afternoon, sending up a plume of thick black smoke over Al Maktoum International Airport. The HAL-built single‑engine fighter went down at around 2:10 pm local time while performing an aerobatic manoeuvre, with the Indian Air Force later confirming that the pilot sustained fatal injuries and that a court of inquiry has been ordered to determine the cause of the accident.
Eyewitness videos carried by NDTV and other broadcasters showed the aircraft losing altitude rapidly before striking the ground and exploding in a ball of fire near the display area, prompting an immediate halt to the show and the diversion of visitors away from the runway. Emergency crews and UAE authorities cordoned off the crash site within minutes, while the Dubai Air Show organisers said flying displays were suspended pending safety checks.
According to a report in the Times of India, the Tejas was participating in a final‑day display intended to showcase India’s indigenous fighter to potential export customers. The crash is only the second recorded loss of a Tejas since the programme entered service in 2016, and defence analysts quoted by Indian media noted that investigators will examine possible technical malfunction or human error, as well as data from the aircraft’s recorders and ground‑based tracking systems.
