An Indian fighter jet crashed during a flying display at the Dubai Airshow on Friday, killing the pilot in front of hundreds of shocked onlookers.
The Indian-made Tejas warplane was executing a manoeuvre when it plunged to the ground and erupted in a fireball. The pilot was unable to eject.
The crash happened in full view of a packed grandstand watching the aerobatics display on the last day of the Middle East鈥檚 biggest air show.
Dubai鈥檚 government-run media office confirmed the 鈥榯ragic death of the pilot鈥� and the Indian Air Force announced an inquiry.
鈥業AF deeply regrets the loss of life and stands firmly with the bereaved family in this time of grief,鈥� it said in a statement.
The plane went down about a mile from the show site, which was full of planes, helicopters and other hardware on static display.
Thousands of people attended the airshow this week, including aviation industry leaders and senior military officials, as well as the public.
Videos circulating on social media showed the aircraft suddenly plummeting and bursting into flames on impact. Smoke billowed from the crash site as emergency vehicles sped towards it.
The incident happened near the start of the daily flying display, which features barrel rolls, loops and other stunts. The demonstration later resumed.
It is the second crash involving the single-seat Tejas in less than two years after a non-fatal training accident in Rajasthan in March last year.
In September, India signed a $7 billion order for 97 upgraded Tejas Mk1A fighter jets to replace its Russian MiG-21 fleet after decades of use.
The Tejas, designed and built in India, was first commissioned into the air force in 2016.
Friday鈥檚 crash is believed to be the first in the history of the Dubai Airshow, which dates back to 1986.
Dubai鈥檚 state-owned Emirates and flydubai airlines signed several agreements at the airshow, including an Emirates order for 65 Boeing jets valued at $38 billion.
