bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sponsorType

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Associated Press

The pilot of an Indian combat plane died after the aircraft crashed on Friday during a demonstration flight for spectators at the Dubai Air Show, the Indian Air Force said.
The Indian HAL Tejas smashed into the ground at the vast Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central, sending a vast fireball into the air and thick black smoke into the sky.
Police vehicles, ambulances and a helicopter rushed to the site of the crash, spraying firefighting foam to extinguish the blaze.
Onlookers, including families who gathered in a grandstand for the end of the air show, gasped in horror and disbelief at the crash in this city state in the United Arab Emirates.

The aeroplane appeared to have lost control and dived directly towards the ground.
The Indian Air Force confirmed the crash in a statement and said “the pilot sustained fatal injuries in the accident”.
“IAF deeply regrets the loss of life and stands firmly with the bereaved family in this time of grief,” it said, adding that “a court of inquiry is being constituted to ascertain the cause of the accident”.
The city state’s second airport was hosting the biennial Dubai Air Show, which has seen major aircraft orders by both the long-haul carrier Emirates and its lower-cost sister airline FlyDubai.
“Firefighting and emergency teams responded rapidly to the incident and are currently managing the situation on-site,” the Dubai Media Office, which responds to crises in the sheikhdom, said on social media.
An SUV bearing diplomatic plates flying the Indian flag was seen at the site, along with police and emergency personnel.
The air show resumed flight demonstrations about an hour and a half afterwards, with the Russian Knights flying overhead as emergency crews still worked the crash site.

Tejas is India’s indigenous fighter aircraft, built by state-run Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL). The lightweight, single-engine jet is expected to bolster India’s depleted fighter fleet as China expands its military presence in South Asia, including by strengthening defence ties with India’s rival, Pakistan.
In September, India’s Defence Ministry signed a contract with HAL to procure 97 Tejas jets for the air force. Deliveries are expected to begin in 2027.
The Indian government also signed a deal with HAL in 2021 for 83 Tejas aircraft. Deliveries, expected last year, have been delayed largely because of shortages of engines that must be imported from the United States.
On Thursday, India’s Press Information Bureau rejected some social media claims alleging that a Tejas aircraft had experienced an oil leak while on display at the air show.
In a statement on social media, it called the posts “false” and said they were attempts to undermine the “fighter’s proven technical reliability with baseless propaganda”.
It was unclear whether the aircraft in question was the one that crashed on Friday. Social media footage showed some kind of liquid dripping from the aircraft into gathered bags beneath it.
“The videos show routine, intentional draining of condensed water,” the military said. “This is a standard procedure for aircraft operating in humid conditions, like those in Dubai.”
Dubai has seen high humidity and fog over the last two days as the seasons change in this nation on the Arabian Peninsula.
A Tejas fighter jet crashed in the western Indian state of Rajasthan last year, but the pilot ejected safely in that incident.


India-EU trade pact nears finish line despite carbon tax dispute, Russia ties

Microsoft makes US$17.5 billion pledge for AI cloud in India

IndiGo flight chaos exposes risks of India’s aviation duopoly

Owners flee to Thailand after Indian nightclub fire in Goa killed 25

India

Indian Air Force pilot dies in Tejas jet crash during Dubai Air Show demonstration

Firefighters work at the site of a crash involving an Indian-made HAL Tejas fighter jet on Friday. Photo: Government of Dubai Media Office/Reuters

The Indian HAL Tejas during a demonstration moments before crashing at the Dubai Air Show on Friday. Photo: AP

Smoke can be seen in this screengrab from an eyewitness’ video following the crash of a Tejas fighter jet at the Dubai Air Show on Friday. Photo: Reuters 

India’s Tejas fighter jet gets US engines to battle Pakistan’s Chinese air power

A man walks past a poster of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited’s Tejas Mark 1A light combat aircraft ahead of its maiden flight at HAL in Nashik, India, on October 17. Photo: Reuters

A Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Tejas Mark 1A is seen after its maiden flight at HAL Nashik, India, on October 17. Photo: Reuters

An Indian soldier stands amid the debris of a MiG-21 aircraft of the Indian Air Force that crashed south of Srinagar in 2014. Photo: Reuters

A policeman walks past a poster of a HAL Tejas Mark 1A at HAL Nashik, India, on October 17. Photo: Reuters

Pakistan Air Force J-10C fighter jets perform at a parade rehearsal in Islamabad last year. Photo: AFP

Is naval drill a sign that India, other Quad members can look past differences?

Ships from India, Australia, Japan and the US taking part in the 2020 Malabar naval exercise in the Bay of Bengal in the Indian Ocean. Photo: AFP/Indian Navy

Indian army fighter jets on the deck on an aircraft carrier during the Malabar naval exercise in the Arabian Sea in 2020. Photo: AFP/Indian Navy

Senior naval officers from Japan, Australia, India and the US speak with each other in Sydney as the four countries hold the Malabar naval exercise off Australia in 2023. Photo: Reuters

India’s debt-backed stablecoin challenge to US dollar dominance explained

US dollar banknotes. Analysts say India’s stablecoin move “asserts the trend towards de-dollarisation”. Photo: dpa

A man walks past logos of the Reserve Bank of India and the Indian rupee inside the central bank’s headquarters in Mumbai, India. Photo: Reuters

India’s ARC would aim to avoid the volatility that plagues speculative digital assets like bitcoin. Photo: Reuters

A symbol denoting India’s rupee is seen outside the central bank’s headquarters in Mumbai earlier this year. Photo: AP

What BJP’s dominance means for India’s democracy and fragmented opposition

Bharatiya Janata Party supporters celebrate the party’s victory in the Bihar state assembly election results in Patna, India, on Friday. Photo: Reuters

India’s Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi had launched a campaign in the Bihar election focused on allegations of systematic manipulation of electoral rolls. Photo: AFP

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP emerged as the single largest party with 89 seats in the Bihar state election earlier this month. Photo: Reuters

Supporters of Janata Dal (United) celebrate after the party clinched 85 seats in the Bihar state election in Patna, India, on Friday. Photo: AP

Are US-India ties set for a rebound after Trump’s trade talk optimism?

US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attend a joint press conference at the White House in Washington in February. Photo: Reuters

An oil pump jacks outside Almetyevsk, in Tatarstan, Russia. India’s purchase of Russian oil is a key factor in Washington imposing a 50 per cent tariff on New Delhi. Photo: Reuters

Indian, Australian, Japanese and US ships take part in the 2021 Malabar naval exercise in the Indian Ocean. Photo: Indian Navy/AFP

News

Asia

South Asia

The pilot had flown across the site several times before the plane appeared to lose control and dive directly towards the ground


The pilot had flown across the site several times before the plane appeared to lose control and dive directly towards the ground.


Aviation

Plane crashes and aviation accidents

United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Pakistan

Indian Air Force pilot dies in Tejas jet crash during Dubai Air Show demonstration

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The pilot had flown across the site several times before the plane appeared to lose control and dive directly towards the ground

The pilot had flown across the site several times before the plane appeared to lose control and dive directly towards the ground