Recently, at the Dubai Airshow, a domestically manufactured Indian fighter jet was involved in a serious accident during a performance. While executing aerobatic maneuvers, the jet performed a negative G “Split-S” flip towards the crowd. Subsequently, the aircraft rapidly lost altitude, spiraled out of control, and crashed to the ground. There were numerous spectators on-site who captured various footage of the incident. The Indian Air Force confirmed that the pilot tragically lost his life. Due to the fighter jet’s low flying altitude, the accident unfolded too swiftly for the pilot to eject and survive.
Let’s delve into the detailed sequence of events leading to the aircraft crash, as captured in a 1-minute video recording that meticulously documents every detail prior to the incident.
The footage commenced with the fighter jet making a wide left turn, transitioning to a horizontal position, followed by a roll with the aircraft tilting to 90 degrees. The jet continued forward flight while gradually descending and rolling further until the aircraft was completely inverted. As the altitude decreased, the jet nosedived, resembling a maneuver akin to the Split-S. The pilot quickly attempted to pull up, transitioning the jet from a vertical dive to level flight. However, it was evident that the lift generated was insufficient, resulting in a rapid descent. Towards the end of the video, there was a slight lift of the aircraft’s nose, attempting to provide additional lift, but it was already too late, leading to a staggering descent and a massive explosion upon impact with the ground, engulfing the area in flames.
The entire maneuver and the Split-S closely resembled each other, with the standard Split-S maneuver concluding with the aircraft flying level backward, while in this instance, the Indian pilot attempted to fly level forward.
Comparing the footage from the 2022 Singapore Airshow and the 2025 Dubai Airshow, both featuring the same maneuver performed by the Indian fighter jets, similarities were observed in the initial stages of flight between the two aircraft. However, significant deviations occurred in the later stages of flight, indicating substantial issues in controlling the flight attitude of the aircraft, leading to a loss of lift. The maneuvers showcased at the airshow had been practiced multiple times and were not inherently highly difficult.
Numerous American aviation enthusiasts have conducted analyses online regarding the causes of the accident involving this aircraft.
Examining key moments during the roll maneuver, the pilot’s posture was observed to be directed towards the ground, with his left hand seemingly not positioned on the throttle, appearing to float in mid-air. During low-altitude flight, maintaining control over the throttle is crucial to power management.
Based on these observations, it is speculated that the pilot might have experienced a brief loss of consciousness after the roll maneuver, possibly due to G-Lock or Red-Out, conditions well-known in high-performance aviation. The video shows the pilot initiating a slight negative G push before attempting to roll towards the crowd, leading to a rapid descent and subsequent crash. A mishandling of negative G forces can result in a buildup of blood in the head, potentially causing disorientation or loss of consciousness, which is particularly hazardous during low-altitude flight.
Another interpretation suggests that the pilot misjudged the aircraft’s altitude. As the jet executed a high-difficulty maneuver and the pilot attempted to pull up, it became evident that the altitude was too low, and the aircraft lacked sufficient lift to ascend to a safe height. If the fighter jet had a higher thrust-to-weight ratio, it might have been able to recover its flight attitude better or had adequate space for a safe escape at a greater height above the ground.
This incident also sheds light on the design implications of the fighter jet. The triangular wing design of the jet heavily relies on a high angle of attack to generate lift at low speeds. Following the roll maneuver, the rapid descent and obvious lack of lift in the video were apparent. In the scenario of low-altitude, low-speed flight with insufficient lift, the accident unfolded.
In addition, the specialized aerobatic maneuvers performed at airshows, particularly those involving high-difficulty maneuvers at low altitudes, can limit situational awareness and lead to disregarding height warnings, potentially causing errors in judgment concerning altitude and flight attitude for fighter jet pilots.
Furthermore, observant American netizens have noticed fuel leakage during the flight of the fighter jet. The aircraft’s design flaws, including fuel leakage, are attributed to structural resonance leading to issues such as fuel line fractures.
From the on-site footage, several conclusions can be drawn: some speculate that the Indian pilot may have momentarily lost consciousness during the aerobatic maneuver, resulting in the aircraft’s loss of control. However, others argue that the maneuver was not significantly high-difficulty and generated limited G-forces.
A second hypothesis suggests that the pilot misjudged the aircraft’s altitude while attempting a Split-S-like maneuver, leading to an undershoot in altitude during the attempt to level the flight. Due to the reliance of the Glorious fighter jet’s triangular wing design on high angles of attack at low speeds, insufficient lift was generated, compounded by the limited thrust from a single engine, culminating in a swift crash.
A third observation points towards the presence of fuel leakage issues in the aircraft during flight, though even in the case of a fuel leak, it might not be the direct cause of this incident.
At present, it appears that the accident may not be directly related to the aircraft’s quality but rather places more significant responsibility on the pilot. Allegations criticizing the quality of Indian weaponry and the prolonged development cycles are commonplace.
The Indian Glorious light fighter jet project originated in 1983, approximately concurrent with Taiwan’s Ching-Kuo fighter jet. However, while the Ching-Kuo fighter jet was already in service by 1989 and 1992, the Glorious fighter jet project underwent nearly two decades of development, with the first successful prototype flight occurring in 2001, the second in 2003, and the public display at an airshow in 2007, marking 24 years since the project’s inception. By the time the Ching-Kuo fighter jet ceased production in 1999, producing a total of 6 prototypes and 131 production units, the Glorious fighter jet had not achieved a successful maiden flight.
The early variant, Glorious Mk1, entered service in 2011 and achieved full operational capability testing in 2016.
The aircraft present at Dubai was the latest variant, Glorious Mk1A.
The first Glorious Mk1A fighter jet was rolled out in March 2024 in the southern Indian city of Bangalore, boasting significant enhancements compared to earlier models, including a new active electronically scanned array radar, reportedly developed by the Israeli ELTA Systems as the EL/M-2052 radar, along with upgraded avionics suite enhancing electronic warfare capabilities. In 2021, India signed a contract to procure 73 single-seat and 10 twin-seat Glorious Mk1A fighter jets, slated for production until 2028.
The Glorious fighter jet has experienced two previous crashes. The last incident occurred in March 2024, attributed to an engine malfunction, with the pilot successfully ejecting and surviving.
This crash represents a significant setback for the Indian aerospace industry. The Dubai Airshow has emerged as a prominent global platform for arms sales in recent years. An incident of this magnitude at the airshow is likely to deter many nations from considering Indian armaments.
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