Video from the Dubai Air Show showed the Tejas losing height, then hitting the ground and bursting into flames. The Indian Air Force pilot flying it died. The crash happened on Friday, November 21, 2025, during an aerial display at the show.
The IAF confirmed the death in a post on X. “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,” the air force wrote. It added that it “deeply regrets the loss of life” and stands with the pilot’s family, and said a court of inquiry is being constituted to establish the cause.
GE Aerospace, which supplies the engine, said through a spokesperson on Friday that it is ready to help investigators, Reuters reported.
The aircraft
Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) describes the Tejas as a 4.5-generation fighter built for offensive air support, close-range combat and ground attack. It can operate over land and at sea. Single-seat versions fly for the Air Force and the Navy, and both services also have twin-seat trainers.
The newest variant, the LCA Mk1A, carries an AESA radar, an upgraded electronic warfare suite with radar warning and self-protection jamming, a digital map generator, smart multifunction displays, a combined interrogator-transponder and a modern radio altimeter.
A short accident record
Work on the programme began in 1984 after years of deliberation, and the jet was formally cleared to fly in 2011. In March 2024, an IAF Tejas went down near a residential colony in Jaisalmer on its way back from the tri-services exercise “Bharat Shakti” in the Pokhran desert. That was the first accident for the single-engine jet since it began flying in 2001. In October 2020, one aircraft developed a technical snag during a sortie, which drew some scrutiny.
The IAF plans to rely on the type for years. In February 2021 the defence ministry signed a ₹48,000-crore contract with HAL for 83 Tejas MK-1A jets. In November 2023 it gave initial approval to buy another 97.
The show
The biennial Dubai Air Show ran from November 17 to 21, 2025, with flying and static displays. India’s defence ministry said on November 18 that over 1,500 exhibitors and more than 1.48 lakh industry professionals from 150 countries were taking part. Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth had attended and watched the display by the IAF’s Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team and the Tejas, the ministry said.
