IAF pilot killed as Tejas jet crashes at Dubai Air Show

A pilot of the Indian Air Force was killed on Friday as a Tejas fighter jet crashed during an aerial display at the Dubai Air Show.

The light combat aircraft, manufactured by the government-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, went down around 2.10 pm local time, AP reported. The jet crashed in an open area near the Al Maktoum International Airport, the venue of the air show.

The Air Force said it has constituted a court of inquiry to ascertain the cause of the accident.

A witness was quoted as saying by Reuters that the aircraft was flying at a low altitude before coming down in a ball of fire. Footage from the site showed thick black smoke rising behind a fenced airstrip.

This is the second known crash involving the Tejas fighter jet.

In March 2024, a Tejas aircraft crashed during a training sortie in Rajasthan's Jaisalmer. The pilot had ejected safely in that incident.

The aircraft was inducted into the Air Force in 2016.

Source: Scroll
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