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Tejas fighter crashes at Dubai air show, sends plume of smoke over airfield
There has been no immediate confirmation regarding the condition of the pilot or whether an ejection took place, and an official statement from the Indian Air Force is still awaited.
Image: NDTV
A Tejas fighter jet crashed on Friday afternoon during a flying display at the Dubai Air Show, erupting into a ball of flames and sending thick black smoke billowing above Al Maktoum International Airport as spectators looked on. The aircraft, a single-seat Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), went down at around 2:10 pm local time, according to eyewitness accounts and videos reviewed by NDTV.
There has been no immediate confirmation regarding the condition of the pilot or whether an ejection took place, and an official statement from the Indian Air Force is still awaited, as per an NDTV report. The crash unfolded during the biennial Dubai Air Show, one of the aviation industry’s largest global exhibitions, which this week has featured major announcements including multi-billion-dollar aircraft orders from Emirates and FlyDubai.
This is the second crash involving a Tejas aircraft in under two years. In March 2024, a Tejas fighter went down in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan — the first accident in the jet’s 23-year history since its maiden test flight in 2001. The pilot ejected safely in that incident.
IAF LCA Tejas jet crashes & bursts into flames. The pilot was killed instantly, visuals from Dubai Air Show 25!
— Chauhan (@Platypuss_10) November 21, 2025
A clear video of the crash while performing the maneuver! pic.twitter.com/vfoJTSbGbH
The Tejas is a 4.5-generation multi-role combat aircraft designed for air-defence missions, offensive air support and close-combat roles. It is recognised for its lightweight build and compact frame, making it one of the smallest fighters in its class. A central safety feature of the jet is its Martin-Baker zero-zero ejection seat, engineered to allow a pilot to eject even at zero altitude and zero speed during take-off, landing or low-level manoeuvres. The system functions by blowing off the canopy, propelling the pilot clear of the aircraft and deploying parachutes to stabilise the descent.
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