No impact of Dubai mishap on Tejas' deliveries: HAL 

Public sector undertaking Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has said the accident involving the Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter jet Tejas-Mark1 during an air show at Dubai was an ‘isolated occurrence’ and there was ‘no impact on future deliveries’ of the jet.

HAL, though owned by the Ministry of Defence, is a listed company. It today formally informed the bourses and its stakeholders saying “the recent incident during the aerial display at the Dubai air show is an isolated occurrence arising out of exceptional circumstances”.

“We would like to assure that there is no impact on the company’s business operations, financial performance or its future deliveries”, the HAL added.

IAF pilot, Wing Commander Namansh Syal, died in a crash involving a Tejas Mark-1 fighter aircraft at the Dubai air show on November 21.

HAL makes the Tejas that is powered by US company General Electric’s engine the F-404. It has supplied 38 of these jets to the IAF off which two have crashed. Another 180 jets of the upgraded variant of the jet, called Tejas Mark-1A, are on order with the HAL. Deliveries are yet to start.

The HAL said it was extending its full support and cooperation to the agencies conducting the investigation of the Dubai accident. The IAF has ordered a court of inquiry to ascertain the cause of the accident.

The accident in Dubai was the second crash of the IAF’s indigenous Tejas fleet in 19 months, the first one being in March last year at a tri-services exercise near Jaisalmer Rajasthan.

Wing Commander Syal died as the jet plunged to the ground in mid-flight while he was executing a low-flying manoeuvre called the ‘barrel roll’. The could not eject in time. The ill-fated plane nosedived and erupted into a fireball on impact.