Indian Tejas fighter jet crashes at Dubai Air Show, killing pilot

The fighter has been seen crashing in a ball of fire at low altitude, witnesses say

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Tejas Mark 1A, a light combat aircraft takes off ahead of its maiden flight at HAL Nashik, India, Oct 17, 2025. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas/File Photo

An Indian home-produced Tejas fighter jet crashed at the Dubai Air Show during an aerial display on Friday, killing its pilot, the Indian Air Force said.

The fighter was flying at a low altitude at around 2:15pm (1015 GMT) before coming down in a ball of fire, according to a witness. Footage from the site showed black smoke rising behind a fenced airstrip.

"A court of inquiry is being constituted, to ascertain the cause of the accident," the IAF said in a statement.

This is the second known crash of the fighter jet, which is powered by General Electric engines and is crucial for India's efforts to modernise its air force fleet of mainly Russian and ex-Soviet fighters. The first crash was during an exercise in India in 2024.

Dubai's government shared a photograph of firefighting teams dousing a smouldering wreckage. It said emergency teams were managing the situation on-site.

The crash happened during the last day of the air show, the Middle East's largest aviation event, which started on Monday.