Authorities say the pilot may have failed to recover from a negative G-force manoeuvre, a move the jet is designed to handle under normal conditions.
BY PC Bureau
November 21, 2025: A Tejas fighter jet crashed on Friday afternoon during a flying demonstration at the Dubai Air Show, sending a plume of thick black smoke over Al Maktoum International Airport as stunned spectators looked on. The Indian Air Force (IAF) confirmed that the pilot was killed.
“An IAF Tejas aircraft met with an accident during an aerial display at the Dubai Air Show today. The pilot sustained fatal injuries. The Indian Air Force deeply regrets the loss of life and stands with the bereaved family. A Court of Inquiry is being constituted to ascertain the cause of the accident,” the IAF said in a statement.
The single-seat Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), went down around 2:10 pm local time, according to eyewitnesses and videos. Footage shows the aircraft entering a rapid freefall with no apparent attempt at gliding, suggesting the pilot was unable to recover from a negative G-force manoeuvre.
Sources said the jet failed to pull out of the negative G turn—a manoeuvre the Tejas is capable of performing—which likely caused the catastrophic loss of control. Negative G-forces push the pilot in the opposite direction to gravity, making recovery highly challenging if miscalculated.
🚨IAF’s Tejas fighter jet crashes during Dubai air show, pilot killed.
An Indian Air Force Tejas fighter jet participating in a demonstration at the Dubai Air Show crashed on Friday afternoon, plunging to the ground around 2:10 pm local time while executing an aerial display… pic.twitter.com/6RIoD88GBb
— CSE Aspirants (@cse_aspirantss) November 21, 2025
Dubai’s government said firefighting and emergency teams responded within minutes and contained the blaze.
The crash took place during the biennial Dubai Air Show, one of the world’s largest aviation exhibitions, which has seen major announcements this week, including multi-billion-dollar aircraft orders from Emirates and FlyDubai.
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This is the second Tejas crash in under two years. In March 2024, a Tejas fighter went down in Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer—the first accident in the jet’s 23-year history. The pilot ejected safely in that incident.
The Tejas, a 4.5-generation multi-role fighter, is designed for air defence, offensive support and close-combat missions. It is regarded as one of the smallest and lightest aircraft in its class and features a Martin-Baker zero-zero ejection seat, intended to allow safe ejection even at zero altitude and zero speed.
Spectators at the air show saw the jet performing a demonstration routine moments before it lost altitude abruptly and crashed near the runway, triggering panic among visitors.
The Tejas programme remains a critical component of India’s bid to modernise its fighter fleet and reduce dependence on imports. The IAF inducted its first Tejas squadron, No. 45 ‘Flying Daggers’, in 2016.
In September, the Centre signed a major contract with HAL for 97 additional Tejas jets, with deliveries expected to start in 2027. This is in addition to an earlier order for 83 Tejas Mk-1A aircraft placed in 2021, whose delivery schedule has faced delays.
