Watch: Chilling visuals of Tejas fighter jet crash during Dubai Air Show surface

Tejas fighter jet crashed during the Dubai Air Show

A Tejas fighter jet crashed during the Dubai Air Show on Friday. Chilling footage of the crash surfaced on social media.

The Indian HAL Tejas crashed around 2:10 p.m. local time during a demonstration flight for a crowd, according to a report by Associated Press.

Watch video here:

VIDEO | Dubai: A Tejas fighter jet taking part in the Dubai Air Show nosedived during an aerial display and crashed this afternoon. The HAL-manufactured aircraft went down around 2:10 pm local time while performing manoeuvres in front of a large audience.

(Full video available… pic.twitter.com/dCYpqkH9a8

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 21, 2025

The video showed the jet descending quickly during the crash, before a thick layer of smoke engulfed the area.

What Indian Air Force said

Soon after the incident, the Indian Air Force issued a statement. 

"An IAF Tejas aircraft met with an accident during an aerial display at the Dubai Air Show today. The pilot sustained fatal injuries in the accident. Indian Air Force 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," Indian Air Force said.

About Tejas

The HAL Tejas is a single-engine, 4.5-generation multirole combat aircraft with a delta wing design. It is developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Indian Air Force (IAF).

The Tejas had taken its maiden flight in 2001 and was inducted into the Indian Air Force in 2015. The first operational squadron of Tejas was formed in 2016.

Claim of oil leak debunked

Meanwhile, one day before the crash, after several posts on social media, the government on Thursday dismissed viral social media posts alleging that India’s LCA Tejas Mk1 fighter aircraft experienced an oil leak during the Dubai Airshow 2025, stating that the claims are entirely false.