A dramatic incident occurred on 21 November 2025 when an Indian Air Force (IAF) HAL Tejas fighter‐jet crashed during a demonstration flight at the Dubai Air Show. (The Indian Express)
What happened
- The aircraft — a single-seat Tejas light combat aircraft — was participating in an aerial display at the Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai. (Hindustan Times)
- The crash occurred around 2:10 pm local time while executing manoeuvres before a large crowd. (www.ndtv.com)
- Witnesses reported the jet appeared to lose control, nosedived and plunged into the ground, producing thick black smoke at the crash site. (The Indian Express)
- The Indian Air Force confirmed the pilot sustained fatal injuries and has ordered a court of inquiry to ascertain the cause. (Hindustan Times)
Significance
- The Tejas is India's domestically developed light combat aircraft, produced by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), and holds symbolic as well as strategic value for the Indian Air Force. (India Today)
- A crash at an international air show like Dubai raises serious questions about display safety, aircraft performance under demonstration-stress, and public perception.
- This is the second recorded crash of a Tejas aircraft; previously a Tejas crashed in Rajasthan in March 2024, albeit with the pilot ejecting safely. (Wikipedia)
What we don’t know yet
- The full cause of the accident is not yet established: early media speculation includes a possible negative-G turn that the pilot was unable to recover from. (www.ndtv.com)
- It remains unconfirmed whether ejection was attempted or possible. (The Economic Times)
- Any connection between the aircraft’s technical status, maintenance history, or display-specific stress factors is yet to be revealed.
Immediate aftermath
- Emergency response teams arrived on scene at the airport, and large crowds watched as the display was interrupted. (The Indian Express)
- The Indian Air Force issued a statement expressing regret and announcing an investigation. (Hindustan Times)
- The crash casts a shadow on the event and on Tejas’s public demonstration record.