Dubai Airshow Crash: An IAF Tejas jet crashed in Dubai today. Pictures circulating on social media showed a large ball of fire forming.
The IAF said that an Indian Air Force pilot was killed when a Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA Mk-1) crashed at the Dubai Air Show on Friday.
The IAF said in a statement, “An IAF Tejas aircraft crashed during an aerial display at the Dubai Air Show today. The pilot sustained serious injuries in the accident. The IAF deeply regrets the loss of life and stands firmly with the bereaved family in this hour of grief. A court of inquiry is being set up to determine the cause of the accident.”
Videos circulating on social media showed the indigenous fighter jet hitting the ground and bursting into flames.
The incident comes at a time when the IAF is preparing to induct an advanced variant of the aircraft, the LCA Mk-1A.
This is the second LCA crash so far.
Earlier, on March 12, 2024, a single-engine Tejas fighter jet crashed near Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. The accident occurred just minutes after the aircraft took part in a tri-service exercise that showcases India’s progress towards self-reliance in the defense manufacturing sector. The pilot ejected safely in the incident.
The LCA Mk-1, along with other Tejas aircraft, had taken part in the Bharat Shakti tri-service exercise at the Pokhran Firing Range near Jaisalmer before it crashed.
The IAF inducted its first Tejas aircraft in July 2016 and currently operates two Mk-1 squadrons (each consisting of 16 to 18 aircraft). Both aircraft involved in the accident belonged to the Mk-1 fleet, which were in the Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) and the more advanced Final Operational Clearance (FOC) configurations—the earlier variants of the LCA.
The biennial Dubai Air Show is currently underway, marking the 40th anniversary of host carrier Emirates.
The show has become a platform for the arms industry and aerospace companies and has garnered significant aircraft orders from both long-haul airline Emirates and its low-cost sister airline, flydubai.
Industry professionals from 150 countries descended on Dubai for this major air show, with participation from major aerospace companies such as Bombardier, Dassault Aviation, Embraer, Thales, Airbus, Lockheed Martin, and Calidus.
The Dubai Air Show began on Monday, November 17, and was scheduled to end on Friday, November 21, the same day the Tejas jet crashed.
