Dubai probes India’s Tejas fighter jet crash for possible breach of flying rules

DUBAI: Investigators are examining whether the pilot who died in India’s Tejas fighter jet crash at the Dubai Airshow descended below the mandatory 300-foot minimum altitude for aerobatic manoeuvres or breached any approved flying protocols, aviation officials said on Saturday.

The inquiry is being led jointly by the UAE’s civil aviation authority, the country’s armed forces aviation division, and the Dubai Airshow’s Flying Control Committee (FCC), which is reviewing all available technical data and display-routine documents.

Officials said investigators are analysing radar tracks, flight-path recordings, and high-resolution video footage to determine the jet’s altitude profile and maneuver sequence in the moments before impact.

The FCC is also assessing whether the pilot performed any aerobatic manoeuvres that had not been formally cleared for the show.

A parallel technical investigation is examining whether the aircraft experienced a sudden loss of power, a control-system malfunction, or another mechanical failure that may have prevented recovery.

The Dubai Airshow, held every two years since 1989, had not recorded a fatal flying-display accident until Friday’s crash, which killed the pilot and brought the day’s demonstrations to a halt.

Authorities say no determination will be made until all evidence — including cockpit-related data, maintenance logs, and approved display documentation — has been fully examined.