A fighter jet crashed and caught fire during an air show in Dubai on Friday, killing the pilot. The aircraft, worth about $32 million, hit the ground and exploded in front of hundreds of people who had come to watch the show.
According to The Sun, the plane was an Indian HAL Tejas fighter jet. It came down around 2.10pm local time while doing its display for the crowd. People had gathered near the runway to watch the jets perform when the crash happened.
Video from the event shows the jet flying close to the ground just before it hit the runway and burst into flames. The pilot did not eject from the plane before it crashed. Families with children who were watching from the stands saw the whole thing happen as huge flames and black smoke filled the air.
The investigation has only just begun
The Indian Air Force released a statement confirming that the pilot died in the crash. “An IAF Tejas aircraft met with an accident during an aerial display at Dubai Air Show, today,” the statement 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.”
After the crash, organizers stopped the show right away and told everyone to go back to the main exhibition area. They cancelled everything else that was supposed to happen that day. Emergency teams and firefighters arrived quickly to handle the fire and the crash site.
Officials have not said what caused the crash yet. The Indian Air Force said they will put together a team to look into what went wrong. Right now, there is no proof that anyone sabotaged the plane. In other recent news, a woman faced unexpected consequences after making a joke at an airport lounge.
The Tejas is a newer type of fighter jet that India uses for attacking targets, fighting other planes, and hitting ground targets. The company that makes it, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, says the plane can do many different jobs in the air and over water. They make different versions of it, including ones with one seat and ones with two seats for training.
The crash happened while the company is dealing with some problems making these jets. News reports say they have planes ready to send out, but they are waiting on engines from an American company called General Electric.
Back in 2021, they got an order to make 83 of these planes, and they wanted to start delivering them in 2023. But because the engines were late, they had to push back their plans. Neither the company that made the jet nor the people running the air show have said anything about the crash yet. Meanwhile, a New York crusader’s story has been making headlines for unexpected reasons.
Published: Nov 21, 2025 04:15 pm