The Times of India published a photo report on the front page: An Indian Air Force pilot died in a "Tejas" fighter jet crash at the Dubai Air Show
The wing commander failed to eject; the second crash in 20 months
A Indian pilot died when he was flying a "Tejas" fighter jet during the Dubai Air Show, which is another setback for this domestically developed light fighter jet project.
The single-engine "Tejas" fighter jet crashed at Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai on Friday, and the pilot was Wing Commander Kushal Kumar Singh, who failed to successfully eject.
This is the second crash of the "Tejas" fighter jet in 20 months. The previous accident occurred in March 2024, when a "Tejas" fighter jet crashed near the Yelahanka Air Force Base in Karnataka, and the pilot successfully ejected.
Dubai police stated that the crash did not cause casualties on the ground, and the cause of the accident is under investigation.
Videos obtained by the air show from a third party showed that the fighter jet lost control and caught fire when it crashed.
Possible causes
• Electrical control system failure
• Spatial disorientation caused by bird strike
• Pilot experienced spatial disorientation
Air Marshal Srinivas Rao, Commander of the Western Air Command of the Indian Air Force, said that the cause of the accident will be investigated by a court of inquiry.
This is the second crash in the Dubai Air Show for the Indian Air Force. In 2019, a pilot from Saligao Air Force Base crashed a Hawk trainer aircraft at the Dubai Air Show and died.
Wing Commander Singh is an experienced pilot with over 1000 hours of flight time. His wife is a retired Indian Air Force officer, and the couple has a 14-year-old daughter.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1849499353109194/
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