Pilot dies as fighter jet crashes at Dubai Air Show
An Indian Tejas fighter jet crashed in a fireball in front of horrified spectators during an air show at the Dubai Airshow, and the Indian Air Force said it had set up a court of inquiry to investigate why.
Images from the area show black smoke rising from behind a fenced runway.
The Dubai government shared a photo showing fire crews extinguishing the smoldering debris.
Jignesh Variya, 46, who attended the demonstration with his family, told Reuters that the fighter jet had not been flying for more than eight or nine minutes and made two to three circles before nosediving and crashing around 2.15pm.
“I could see three different fireballs when it hit the ground,” he said.
“Everyone in the crowd stood up and within about 30 seconds emergency vehicles rushed to the scene of the crash.”
This was the second known crash of the fighter jet built by state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd and powered by General Electric engines.
The first accident occurred during an exercise in India in 2024.
The indigenous jet, whose name means “shine” in Sanskrit, is vital to India’s efforts to modernize its air force fleet, which consists mostly of Russian and former Soviet fighters.
The accident occurred on the last day of the air show, the Middle East’s largest aviation event, which started on Monday.
Witnesses said flights resumed later Friday and the jets returned to the skies above the show area.
“A court of inquiry is being constituted to determine the cause of the accident,” the Indian Air Force said in a statement. he said.
GE said in a statement that it stands ready to support the investigation.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of the Indian Air Force Tejas fighter jet at the Dubai Airshow and offer our condolences to the pilot’s loved ones,” a GE spokesperson said.
The Dubai government said emergency teams were managing the situation on-site.
First produced in 2001 but based on work first done two decades earlier, the Tejas was designed as a light fighter jet to replace India’s Russian MiG-21 fleet.
The IAF expects to operate a fleet of around 220 Tejas fighter jets and advanced Mk-1A variants over the next decade once HAL completes outstanding orders.
However, the launch of the fighter jet was delayed due to slow engine deliveries from GE, which was blamed on supply chain issues encountered after COVID-19.
“This is the first fully indigenous Indian fighter jet that is not based on foreign designs,” said UK-based defense analyst Francis Tusa, adding that export interest has been limited so far.
“There is work on Tejas II,” he said.
India was attracting interest from potential foreign buyers at the week-long air show, which is a key arena for global arms and aircraft markets and is known for daring displays that use sweeping views of its airspace.
Dubai is the world’s third largest air show after Paris and Farnborough in the United Kingdom, held in alternate years, and is among the most international, with Chinese and Russian weapons as well as aircraft from India and regional rival Pakistan represented.
The accident was the first of the show.
