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An Indian Tejas Mk.1 flies at the Dubai Airshow before the Nov. 21 crash at the event.
An Indian Air Force Tejas Mk.1 Light Combat Aircraft crashed at the Dubai Airshow on Nov. 21, killing the pilot.
“A court of inquiry is being constituted to ascertain the cause of the accident,” the Indian Air Force said on social media.
The Tejas, during one of its maneuvers, lost altitude, videos of the incident show, with the pilot unable to recover before the aircraft pancaked. “Firefighting and emergency teams responded rapidly to the incident and are currently managing the situation on-site,” the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Defense said.
The crash comes as India has been boosting its commitment to the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited-made fighter. Earlier this year, the government signed contracts with HAL to acquire nearly 97 Mk. 1As. India also recently inaugurated additional production capacity for the program.
HAL expressed sorrow for the pilot’s death and gave condolences to the family.
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