An Indian Air Force pilot lost his life on Friday when the Tejas light combat aircraft (LCA Mk-1) he was piloting crashed during an aerial demonstration at the Dubai Air Show, the IAF confirmed.
“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. 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,” the IAF stated.
Video footage circulating on social media captured the domestically manufactured fighter jet plummeting to the ground and exploding into flames. The incident occurs as the IAF prepares to introduce an advanced version of the aircraft, the LCA Mk-1A.
This marks only the second recorded crash of an LCA Tejas.
Previously, a single-engine Tejas fighter jet went down near Jaisalmer in Rajasthan on March 12, 2024, shortly after taking part in a tri-services exercise demonstrating India’s advances in defense manufacturing self-sufficiency. In that incident, the pilot safely ejected.
The LCA Mk-1 had participated in the Bharat Shakti tri-services exercise at the Pokhran firing range near Jaisalmer alongside another Tejas aircraft before the crash occurred.
The IAF received its first Tejas aircraft in July 2016 and presently operates two Mk-1 squadrons (each containing 16 to 18 aircraft). Both aircraft involved in the crashes were from the Mk-1 fleet inducted under the initial operational clearance (IOC) and the more sophisticated final operational clearance (FOC) configurations the first variants of the LCA.
The biennial Dubai Air Show is currently in progress, coinciding with the 40th anniversary year of host carrier Emirates.
The event has become a platform for the defense industry and aerospace manufacturers, with major aircraft orders placed by both the long-haul carrier Emirates and its budget sister airline FlyDubai.
Industry specialists from 150 countries converged in Dubai for the prominent air show, with leading aerospace companies including Bombardier, Dassault Aviation, Embraer, Thales, Airbus, Lockheed Martin, and Calidus participating.
The Dubai Air Show commenced on November 17 and was set to conclude on Friday, November 21, the day the Tejas jet crashed.
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