The Tejas crash in Dubai was a tragic mix of low altitude, complex manoeuvres and sudden loss of control. The brave pilot had no recovery time, reminding us how unforgiving aviation can be.
The recent crash of India’s LCA Tejas fighter jet during an air show in Dubai has left the nation mourning the loss of a skilled pilot and questioning what went wrong with an aircraft that has maintained an exemplary safety record for over two decades. According to NDTV, aviation experts who examined the crash footage believe the aircraft was executing a negative G turn before it tragically hit the ground. While we wait for the official investigation report, let’s try to understand what might have happened that fateful day.
Negative G, as experts explain, refers to forces that push in the opposite direction of normal gravity. Imagine doing a loop in the sky—when you’re at the top, upside down, you experience negative G. Your blood rushes to your head, and if you’re not trained for it, you could become disoriented or even lose consciousness. Our fighter pilots train rigorously to handle these extreme conditions, but the forces involved are unforgiving. The videos from the air show suggest that the Tejas suddenly lost altitude while trying to level out after completing a loop manoeuvre. In those critical seconds, something went terribly wrong.
Now, some people have been quick to blame Dubai’s desert heat for the accident. But let’s think about this logically. The LCA Mk1 that crashed had been flying safely for three years. It’s equipped with a zero-zero Martin-Baker ejection seat—one of the best in the world—which means a pilot can eject even when the aircraft is stationary on the ground or at zero altitude. The temperature during the display was around 35°C, which is hot but not unusual for the Tejas. Remember, India has deserts too—Rajasthan, where another Tejas crashed in March 2024, regularly sees temperatures above 40°C, and our jets have performed well there. In fact, in that Rajasthan incident, the pilot successfully ejected and survived, which shows that the zero-zero ejection seat works when there’s enough altitude. So blaming the climate alone doesn’t add up.
What’s more likely is that multiple factors came together in those fatal moments. During an aggressive aerobatic manoeuvre at low altitude, even a minor problem can spiral out of control within seconds. Perhaps there was a momentary disruption in airflow to the engine. Maybe the aircraft experienced a compressor stall—a condition where the engine temporarily loses power. Or there could have been a sudden drop in thrust right when the pilot needed maximum power to pull up. At low altitude, there’s simply no room for error. The margin between recovery and disaster is measured in fractions of a second.
This is where we must understand the cruel reality of aviation physics. Even with a zero-zero ejection seat, the pilot needs a minimum altitude for the parachute to deploy and slow his descent. The Rajasthan crash proved the ejection system works perfectly when the pilot has enough height. But in Dubai, if the aircraft was already too close to the ground when the emergency occurred, even an immediate ejection attempt might not have been enough. It’s not about courage or skill—this pilot was undoubtedly brave and highly trained. It’s about the unforgiving nature of speed, altitude, and gravity when they align against you.
The LCA Tejas has an outstanding safety record—this Dubai crash is only the second incident in 24 years since its first test flight in 2001. After the retirement of the vintage MiG-21, which was nicknamed the “flying coffin” due to its high accident rate, the Tejas was meant to be India’s safe and reliable workhorse. And it has been. Two incidents in nearly a quarter century, with one pilot surviving, speaks volumes about the aircraft’s reliability. One aircraft from a squadron in Sulur, Tamil Nadu, that had been in service since 2016, doesn’t define the entire programme.But every crash teaches us something. Every investigation reveals details that make future flights safer. The aviation community doesn’t look for someone to blame—they look for answers that prevent the next tragedy. Was it a design limitation during extreme manoeuvres? Was it a maintenance issue that went undetected? Was it environmental factors combining with mechanical stress? These are the questions the investigation will answer.
For now, we honour the pilot who gave his life while showcasing India’s indigenous aircraft on an international stage. We acknowledge that flying is inherently dangerous, and that pilots accept this risk every time they climb into the cockpit. And we trust that the investigators will uncover the truth, not to assign blame, but to ensure that the next generation of pilots is safer because of the lessons learned from this tragedy. That’s the legacy every fallen pilot deserves, and that’s what will truly honour their sacrifice.
(Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author’s own and do not reflect those of DNA)
(Girish Linganna is an award-winning science communicator and a Defence, Aerospace & Geopolitical Analyst. He is the Managing Director of ADD Engineering Components India Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of ADD Engineering GmbH, Germany.)
