Tejas Jet Crash: Experts said the IAF pilot appeared to be executing a manoeuvre known as a barrel roll when it crashed during the Dubai Airshow.
At 2.08 pm (local time) on Friday, the Indian Air Force’s Tejas jet was performing an aerial manoeuvre, enthralling the audience gathered at the Dubai Airshow. The next minute, it appeared to lose balance before nosediving and crashing, sending thick black smoke billowing from the crash site. The pilot of the aircraft, which has a near-perfect safety record, died in the incident, the IAF confirmed.
It has led to one singular question: how did the Tejas crash?
Experts have now decoded the last moments of the ill-fated Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), which witnessed only its second crash in its 24-year history. Interestingly, the crash comes a day after the government dismissed viral claims that the Tejas Mk1 fighter aircraft experienced an oil leak at the Dubai air show.
FINAL MOMENTS OF TEJAS JET CRASH
Experts said the IAF pilot appeared to be executing a manoeuvre known as a barrel roll, in which the jet turns over and then back up again, completing a full axial rotation. While it is not a complicated manoeuvre, it involves the pilot being momentarily upside down before flipping all the way over.
On Friday, the Tejas was looking to execute a precise loop — initially pulling up, then going inverted, and then descending again. It was supposed to climb again, but it never happened.
Tejas Crash Updates
The jet was likely too close to the ground to again pull up and complete the manoeuvre. Moreover, experts said the jet also possibly did not have the speed to rise again and ultimately crashed.
While a barrel roll isn’t considered highly complex, executing such manoeuvres at high speed in a fighter jet is demanding. Even a small miscalculation can have serious consequences.
The IAF has not officially revealed what caused the crash. Experts also pointed out that an engine flameout could be behind the tragedy.
