Dubai Tejas Crash: A video of the Tejas fighter jet that crashed during the Dubai Air Show is rapidly going viral on social media. The one-minute, eight-second video first shows the Tejas aircraft performing acrobatics in the air. Then, the smoke suddenly stops. The aircraft remains airborne for a while before suddenly descending and crashing. A second earlier, the Tejas was cutting through the air. The next moment, it began a free-fall, as if its spine had been severed. As it struck the ground, it became a blazing ball of fire. Anyone who witnessed this scene at the Dubai Air Show was momentarily taken aback and left breathless.

The video shows the aircraft gaining altitude. It performs aerial manoeuvres, then descends. It then takes off again. Smoke is billowing from the Tejas jet. The video shows the fighter jet beginning to descend and then crashing shortly after.

Upon impact, the Tejas Mk-1A erupted into a ball of flames within seconds, sending a cloud of smoke engulfing the air. The Indian Air Force (IAF) confirmed late in the evening that the pilot had been killed. It said, “An Indian Air Force Tejas aircraft crashed during an aerobatic display at the Dubai Air Show today. The pilot sustained serious injuries and died.

Reports indicate the accident occurred around 2:10 pm local time. Eyewitnesses say the aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff and caught fire, sending up a plume of smoke. The crashed aircraft belonged to the Air Force’s 18 Squadron.