LAT Aerospace plane crashes during test flight, 'Main objective to test uSTOL was successfully demonstrated,' says Deepinder Goyal

Zomato founder Deepinder Goyal has shared that the prototype aircraft built by his newly backed aviation startup LAT Aerospace crashed during its maiden test flight, even as it successfully demonstrated its core ultra-short take-off and landing (uSTOL) capability.

Deepinder Goyal shares test flight of prototype aircraft built by his aerospace startup

Sharing a video of the Lat One v0.1 test on X, Goyal said the aircraft managed to achieve uSTOL, which was the primary objective of the test, before going down shortly after.

“uSTOL achieved. Achievement unlocked,” he shared.

He claimed that his team already anticipated the crash based on pre-flight simulations that flagged structural defects in the prototype.

“The plane crashed a bit later, which we knew was going to happen,” he wrote, adding that the early-stage failure was “built into the learning curve.”

Goyal said that the crash did not take away the technical milestone achieved during takeoff.

“Making a plane take off is only 20 percent of the problem. Making it land safely is where the work lies,” he said, noting that the team had already begun building Lat One v0.2 to complete a full mission.

Video of Lat One v0.1 test flight.

uSTOL achieved. Achievement unlocked 🛫

The plane crashed a bit later, which we knew was going to happen, and our simulations had already suggested so, due to structural defects. However, the main objective of the test flight was to test… pic.twitter.com/vji5oQPC7A

— Deepinder Goyal (@deepigoyal) January 4, 2026

About LAT Aerospace

Deepinder Goyal co-launched LAT Aerospace last year along with cofounder Surobhi Das, intending to transform India’s regional aviation landscape.

In her earlier LinkedIn post announcing the venture, Das mentioned the huge gap between India’s aviation potential and current utilisation.

“India has 450+ airstrips — but only 150 see commercial flights,” she wrote, describing regional air travel as “expensive, infrequent and out of reach unless you live in a metro.”

The Zomato boss has reportedly invested $20 million of the startup’s roughly $50 million raised so far. The aerospace startup has already begun hiring engineers, systems designers and aviation specialists to speed up the development process.

In his X post, Goyal disclosed that LAT Aerospace’s ambition is long-term and structurally transformative. “We learnt so much from this entire experience. We will come out better and stronger from this.”

“To know why we are so bullish on Lat Aerospace and how it will change the future of our country, tune into my recent podcast with Raj Shamani,” Deepinder Goyal concluded while urging people to follow the page of his new company for updates.

“And follow @lataerospace for future updates,” he wrote in his post.

Also read: ‘Every doorbell ring is a reminder of systemic inequality,’ Deepinder Goyal says gig economy shattered “invisibility” of poor labourers (startuppedia.in)