Tejas Fighter Crashes At Dubai Air Show, Explodes In Ball Of Flames

A Tejas fighter jet crashed on Friday afternoon during a flying demonstration at the Dubai Air Show, sending a plume of thick black smoke over Al Maktoum International Airport as crowds looked on. The aircraft -- a single-seat Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) -- went down at around 2:10 pm local time, according to eyewitnesses and videos sourced by NDTV. There was no immediate confirmation from officials on the condition of the pilot or whether an ejection occurred. An official statement from the Indian Air Force is awaited. The crash occurred during the biennial Dubai Air Show, one of the world's largest aviation exhibitions. The event has seen major announcements this week, including multi-billion-dollar aircraft orders by Emirates and FlyDubai.