An Indian fighter jet crashed Friday at the start of a demonstration flight in front of a crowd of spectators at the Dubai Air Show, killing its sole pilot.
The Indian HAL Tejas smashed into the ground at the vast Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central, sending a vast fireball into the air and thick black smoke into the sky. Police vehicles, ambulances and a helicopter rushed to the site of the crash, spraying firefighting foam to extinguish the blaze, The AP news reported.
Onlookers, including families who gathered in a grand stand for the end of the air show Friday, gasped in horror and disbelief at the crash in this city-state in the United Arab Emirates. The airplane appeared to have lost control and dove directly toward the ground.
The Indian Air Force confirmed the crash and 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,” it said in a statement. It said “a court of inquiry is being constituted, to ascertain the cause of the accident.”
Emirati crash investigators also will investigate the crash.
“Firefighting and emergency teams responded rapidly to the incident and are currently managing the situation on-site,” the Dubai Media Office, which responds to crises in the sheikhdom, said on X.
An SUV bearing diplomatic plates flying the Indian flag was seen at the site, along with police and emergency personnel.
