Chicago – November 22, 2025
An Indian fighter jet crashed during a flying display at the Dubai Airshow on Friday, killing the pilot in front of hundreds of shocked onlookers.
The Indian-made Tejas warplane was executing a manoeuvre when it plunged to the ground and erupted in a fireball. The pilot was unable to eject.
The crash happened in full view of a packed grandstand watching the aerobatics display on the last day of the Middle East’s biggest air show.
Dubai’s government-run media office confirmed the “tragic death of the pilot” and the Indian Air Force (IAF) announced an inquiry.
“IAF deeply regrets the loss of life and stands firmly with the bereaved family in this time of grief,” it said in a statement.
The plane went down about a mile (1.6 kilometres) from the show site, which was full of planes, helicopters and other hardware on static display.
Thousands of people attended the airshow this week, including aviation industry leaders and senior military officials, as well as the public.
Videos circulating on social media showed the aircraft suddenly plummeting and bursting into flames on impact. Smoke billowed from the crash site as emergency vehicles sped towards it.
The incident happened near the start of the daily flying display, which features barrel rolls, loops and other stunts. The demonstration later resumed.
It is the second crash involving the single-seat Tejas in less than two years after a non-fatal training accident in Rajasthan in March last year.
In September, India signed a $7 billion order for 97 upgraded Tejas Mk1A fighter jets to replace its Russian MiG-21 fleet after decades of use.
