Retd. Captain Shyam Kumar, Defence & Flight Safety Expert, shares his expert analysis on the tragic crash of the LCA Tejas MK 1A during the Dubai Air Show 2025. He highlights that the pilot performs highly challenging maneuvers to impress potential international buyers, showcasing India’s aerospace advancements. The expert firmly states that he does not think an error of judgment by pilot.
00:00Based on the initial information in the video which we have seen, what possible technical or
00:04operational factors could have led to this incident, sir?
00:09Thank you, Jai Hind, Shano Varuna. First of all, it's a very sad news. My condolences
00:16to the family. We lost a very fine fighter pilot of Indian Air Force.
00:22Such air shows are prestigious for the country. And our aircraft, Tejas Mark 1, is one of
00:33the best aircraft that India has produced. We have two squadrons in operation. Sulur
00:40squadron is operating well. We have seen its performance during Operation Sindur in air
00:46defence role and many other roles. We have been banking upon this aircraft to see it into
00:53the light with more than 230 aircrafts, although 40 of them are already with air force and flying.
01:02I also understand that India when decides to participate in air show, 40th anniversary air
01:08show of Emirates at Dubai, the best of the fighter pilots are selected, trained and experience
01:16gained by them are at display during such air shows. Therefore, I also understand the error
01:24on the part of pilot is generally ruled out. Although there will be enquiry and there could
01:31be more evidences, there could be many factors which would reveal the real self of the accident.
01:39So we will have to wait for it and then only we would be able to analyse the real cause of
01:44the accident. I must say, as per as flight safety record of the aircraft is concerned, we measure
01:52it into 10,000 hours of flying versus aircraft. This is the second crash of the Tejas and this
01:59is the first fatal crash of the Tejas Mark 1 aircraft in Indian Air Force history. So I must say that
02:06it is a safety proven aircraft thrust-wise, maneuverability-wise, flying skills-wise of the pilot and its performance
02:12that we have seen in the past few years. So I have to wait, people have to wait and in an air show like Dubai
02:14where there are international presence, this may roll into many gossips which I must like to curb at this moment and wait for the code of inquiry to say the evidences and the results or the cause of the fatal accident.
02:21Indeed sir, we have also seen the video in which the aircraft is very clear.
02:28We are also giving the information that we have lost our brave pilot.
02:35he is no more with us. So how do you see the failure to inject from the aircraft?
02:42what possible reasons could have led to the failure and ejection sir?
02:49As I said, the aircraft was in a Dubai air show in Dubai,
02:56in which the aircraft is very close to the ground.
02:58We are also giving the information that we have lost our brave pilot.
03:01He is no more with us. So how do you see the failure to inject from the aircraft?
03:06What possible reasons could have led to the failure and ejection sir?
03:11As I said, the aircraft was in a Dubai air show in a display mode and the best of the maneuvers are undertaken during such maneuvers
03:24because we are displaying our might, our credible aircraft performance to the many witnesses.
03:32There are many, 150 nations were participating in this air show.
03:37They were looking at this aircraft as a potential buyer for their own country.
03:42So obviously the maneuvers were at a high stake and the pilots must be displaying its best.
03:47And this aircraft, as you see in the videos which have been on display,
03:52through media which I have seen, the aircraft was doing its maneuver which was close to the ground
03:57and probably trying to place itself for the next maneuver during the roll, the barrel roll.
04:03It was almost in an advertent roll you can say or wings were, but I can always say that the aircraft was under full control of the pilot.
04:15I don't think there was any g-lock or any unconscious situation of the pilot.
04:20The pilot must have tried to maneuver the aircraft to recover it from the lower height to the next maneuver.
04:26At that moment the aircraft has gone out of control and crashed into the ground and rolled forward as it has lot of forward speed.
04:36It has not gone vertically down as you say in the video.
04:40So chances of ejection also could be very, very, the time available would be very less for the pilot.
04:46Probably he was very sure that he would recover the aircraft from the close to the ground to the higher height and place itself for the next maneuver.
04:54So whether it is a technical slag, engine failure or stalling or control failure or lastly you can say the error of judgment which is very, very, I don't think that could be because the pilot was very, very competent.
05:08So all this would be revealed during the code of inquiry and we must wait for that to tell us about the exact cause of the accident.
05:17So it was great because the aircraft is not involved in the accident.
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