Pilot killed as Tejas jet crashes at Dubai show

The Light Combat Aircraft (LCA Mk-1) fighter jet hit the ground and exploded into a fireball during an aerial display at the Dubai airshow on Friday.

- Rahul Singh

NEW DELHI: An Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot was killed on Friday after a Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA Mk-1) crashed during a demonstration flight at the Dubai airshow, the IAF said.

The pilot was identified as Wing Commander Namansh Syal from Kangra in Himachal Pradesh.

"An IAF Tejas aircraft met with an accident during an aerial display at the Dubai airshow. 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. A court of inquiry is being constituted to ascertain the cause of the accident," the IAF said in a statement, adding that a probe has been launched.

The crash was the second involving the India-built single-engine fighter jet since it was inducted by the IAF in July, 2016.

Images circulating on social media showed the fighter jet hitting the ground and exploding into a fireball. The pilot was performing low-level aerobatic manoeuvres when the Tejas crashed on the concluding day of the five-day airshow, which began on November 17.

The development comes as the IAF is looking to induct an advanced variant of the plane, the LCA Mk-1A.