Witnesses and officials confirmed the crash on the final day of the Middle East’s biggest air show. Videos circulated online showed the aircraft descending rapidly and exploding into a fireball upon impact, stunning the hundreds of spectators watching from the grandstand. Emergency teams rushed to the site as thick black smoke billowed from the crash scene.
Pilot’s Death Confirmed by IAF
The Indian Air Force (IAF) released a statement on X confirming the pilot's death. The post stated: “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,” adding, “IAF deeply regrets the loss of life and stands firmly with the bereaved family in this time of grief. A court of inquiry is being constituted to ascertain the cause of the accident.” This is the second known crash of the Tejas fighter jet; the first occurred during an exercise in India in March 2024, though the pilot in that incident ejected safely.
The ‘Oil Leak’ Controversy
Earlier in the week, the Tejas was subject to social media scrutiny over claims it was ‘leaking oil’ while on static display. Images were shared showing bags placed beneath the aircraft, purportedly to collect the dripping fluid. While some posts suggested the leak persisted, there was no official comment initially from the government or armed forces.
However, the Press Information Bureau (PIB) of India later clarified that the dripping was a “routine draining process, not a technical malfunction,” explaining it was part of the “standard pre-flight procedure to remove condensation” from the aircraft’s cooling system.
Challenges for the Indigenous Program
The Tejas, which means “brilliance” in Hindi, is a domestically designed and built fighter jet commissioned into the Indian Air Force in 2016. The project has faced design and other challenges, including being previously rejected by the Indian Navy for being too heavy.
The latest variant, the Tejas Mk-1A, is considered a crucial element for India’s efforts to strengthen its depleting fighter squadrons and replace aging jets, especially given China’s growing military might and support for arch-rival Pakistan.
The delivery of these jets has been slowed due to delays in receiving the General Electric (GE) engines ordered in 2021, a delay GE has blamed on post-Covid-19 supply chain issues. The biennial airshow was held at Dubai’s Al Maktoum International Airport and attracted over 1,500 exhibitors.
The loss of the pilot and the jet in an international display is a significant setback for the Tejas program’s global reputation and export prospects. The ongoing inquiry must definitively rule out technical factors, especially in light of the pre-crash ‘oil leak’ claims, to restore confidence in this vital indigenous project.
