A Tejas fighter jet participating in the Dubai Air Show crashed on Friday during a mid-afternoon demonstration. The Indian-made HAL Tejas went down in the form of a fireball between 3.30-4 pm Indian time while performing an aerial Negative G maneuver. Today’s incident marks the ninth such crash of IAF fighter jets from March 2024 and a second one for a Tejas jet in particular.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has confirmed that the pilot of Tejas has died in the crash. Thick black smoke was seen rising from the crash site near the airport. The LCA Tejas that crashed was from a squadron in Tamil Nadu’s Sulur and it was in service since 2016.
Potential reason for crash
While only a thorough investigation can find out what went wrong, aviation experts told NDTV that a biological effect of the Negative G maneuver could have been the reason behind the crash.
The Negative G maneuver refers to a move where a plane charts a loop in the sky, where for a brief period the pilot and the aircraft are inverted in the sky. The forces experienced during aerobatic manoeuvres involve severe turbulence.
Aviation experts further explain that if not properly managed, Negative G can lead to loss of consciousness for the pilot caused by a bloodrush to the brain during the inverted position. Pilots undergo specific training to manage and mitigate the effects of Negative G forces during flight operations.
Following the crash, netizens reacted with sympathy for the late pilot’s family and took cognizance of the air force officer’s service to the country. Multiple individuals also posted concerns regarding the technical capabilities of IAF fighter jets.
“Deeply saddened by the loss of our brave IAF pilot in the Tejas crash at the Dubai Air Show. My heartfelt condolences to his family. The nation stands with them, honouring his courage and service,” Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi posted on X.
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also took cognisance of the tragedy and offered his condolences to the late pilot’s family. “Deeply anguished at the loss of a brave and courageous IAF pilot during an aerial display at the Dubai Air Show. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family. The nation stands firmly with the family in this tragic hour,” he wrote on X.
What happened the last time Tejas crashed?
This is not the first time that the Tejas aircraft has crashed; its last crash came just a year before in the March of 2024 near Jaisalmer in Rajasthan.
The pilot at that time was able to safely eject before the crash. A subsequent investigation found that the crash was likely caused by engine seizure, triggered by an oil pump malfunction in the fighter’s engine which led the aircraft to crash near a student hostel in Jaisalmer.
Notably, today’s crash came just a day after the government dismissed viral claims that the Tejas Mk1 fighter aircraft experienced an oil leak at the Dubai Air Show. The IAF said in a statement that a court of inquiry is being set up to determine the cause of the accident.
