- By Supratik Das
- Sat, 22 Nov 2025 11:18 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Tejas Crash News:A wave of insensitive and derogatory comments from several Pakistani social media commentators erupted online on Friday after an Indian Air Force (IAF) Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) crashed during a high-speed aerobatic display at the Dubai Air Show 2025.
The posts have drawn sharp criticism across India, with many condemning the responses as “inhumane” and “deeply shameful”.
Pak Accounts Share Derogatory Posts
Soon after visuals of the crash surfaced, multiple Pakistan-based social media users posted mocking remarks targeting the aircraft and the Indian Air Force. Some compared the burning aircraft to “tandoori items,” while others wrote lines such as “whatever India makes will eventually crash”. A few mocked the pilot, and another posted a message saying “gravity is the only truth for Indian jets”. Several of these posts were circulated widely, prompting strong reactions from Indian users who called the comments “heartless” and “beyond basic humanity.”
Several posts also shared xenophobic remarks, belittling the pilot and the Indian defence ecosystem. The tone of these reactions has triggered a larger conversation about the ethics of commentary during a fatal accident.
Tejas Crash During Aerobatic Manoeuvre
The Tejas Mk-1, manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), went down around 2:10 pm local time while attempting a high-speed manoeuvre at the Dubai Air Show. Initial assessments suggest the jet entered a negative-G phase during a barrel-roll sequence but failed to regain stability before impact. Emergency teams rushed to the site as a large plume of smoke rose from the Dubai World Central airfield.
The IAF later confirmed the pilot’s death, stating that a court of inquiry will examine all factors that led to the accident.
ALSO READ: Tejas Crash: Why Did Indigenous Combat Aircraft Suffer Mishap At Dubai Air Show?
Pak's Record Marked by Catastrophic Failures
Pakistan’s aviation sector has suffered repeated fatal crashes over the last two decades:
• PIA Flight 8303 (Karachi, 2020): An Airbus A320 crashed in a residential area of the city, killing 97 people aboard and one resident. The final report blamed the crash on grave human error by both the cockpit crew-which ignored air traffic control instructions ATC itself, which failed to warn them in time.
• PIA Flight 661 (Havelian, 2016): All 47 people, including renowned singer Junaid Jamshed, were killed due to the fractured turbine blade because of poor compliance with a manufacturer's service bulletin that resulted in engine failure.
• Airblue Flight 202 (2010) and Bhoja Air Flight 213 (2012): Pakistan's deadliest crashes were both related to poor crew resource management, unstable approaches, and failure to adhere to established procedures.
• Pilot Licensing Scandal: The Aviation Minister of Pakistan, in 2020, admitted that a large number of Pakistani pilots held "dubious or suspected" licenses. This resulted in the EASA and the UK banning PIA flights for over three years, tattering Pakistan's reputation. The ban was lifted only in late 2024, after multiple audits led to major reforms.
• Systemic Failures: Investigations across crashes pointed to deeper structural issues—poor maintenance at PIA facilities, inadequate oversight by the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority, or PCAA, weak cockpit discipline, and repeated SOP violations.
Given this history, netizens say the online jeering over the Tejas crash reflects “misplaced bravado” rather than informed criticism. While India works to establish a stronger indigenous aerospace programme, Pakistan continues to grapple with long-standing issues that have repeatedly cost civilian lives.
Some compared the burning aircraft to “tandoori items,” while others wrote lines such as “whatever India makes will eventually crash”. A few mocked the pilot, and another posted a message saying “gravity is the only truth for Indian jets”. Several of these posts were circulated widely, prompting strong reactions from Indian users who called the comments “heartless” and “beyond basic humanity.”