Everlasting Group CEO Deepinder Goyal mentioned his aviation startup LAT Aerospace efficiently demonstrated ultra-short takeoff and touchdown (uSTOL) capabilities throughout a latest take a look at flight, though the prototype plane later crashed attributable to identified structural limitations.

In a LinkedIn and X (previously Twitter) put up, Goyal shared footage of the flight of the Lat One v0.1 prototype, describing the take a look at as a deliberate a part of an iterative improvement course of. He mentioned the staff was conscious the plane won’t survive the trial.

“The airplane crashed a bit later, which we knew was going to occur, and our simulations had already recommended so, attributable to structural defects. Nonetheless, the primary goal of the take a look at flight was to check uSTOL, which was efficiently demonstrated,” he mentioned.

“We’re already constructing Lat One v0.2, which ought to hopefully full a mission,” Goyal wrote. “Making a airplane take off is simply 20% of the issue. Making it land safely is the place the work lies.”

Goyal mentioned the take a look at supplied crucial learnings for the staff and framed the crash as a milestone somewhat than a setback. “Total, we discovered a lot from this complete expertise. We’ll come out higher and stronger from this,” he mentioned.

LAT Aerospace was co-founded final yr by Goyal and Surobhi Das as a deep-tech enterprise geared toward reshaping India’s regional aviation ecosystem. In an earlier put up asserting the startup, Das highlighted what she described as underutilization within the sector, noting that India has greater than 450 airstrips, however solely about 150 at present help business flights.

Das has argued that regional air journey in India stays “costly, rare and out of attain until you reside in a metro,” positioning uSTOL-enabled plane as a possible answer to enhance connectivity to smaller cities and underserved areas.

The startup has not disclosed a timeline for its subsequent take a look at flight however mentioned improvement of the Lat One v0.2 prototype is already underway.

Video of Lat One v0.1 take a look at flight.

uSTOL achieved. Achievement unlocked 🛫

The airplane crashed a bit later, which we knew was going to occur, and our simulations had already recommended so, attributable to structural defects. Nonetheless, the primary goal of the take a look at flight was to check… pic.twitter.com/vji5oQPC7A

— Deepinder Goyal (@deepigoyal) January 4, 2026