A Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) of the Indian Air Force (IAF) reportedly suffered significant structural damage after overshooting the runway at a forward airbase earlier this month.
It happened due to a suspected brake malfunction, according to PTI, citing sources. The pilot ejected safely from the aircraft, they added. The jet was coming back to base after completing a training mission.
The IAF has not issued an official statement on the accident, which reportedly occurred on 7 February. However, sources said the force temporarily grounded its fleet of about 30 single-seat HAL Tejas aircraft to conduct a detailed technical inspection following the incident.
What is HAL Tejas?
HAL Tejas is a single-engine, multi-role fighter jet designed to operate effectively in high-threat combat environments. It is a delta-wing fighter aircraft developed by Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) as part of India’s efforts to modernize the IAF. The aircraft is built to perform a range of missions, including air defense, maritime reconnaissance, and precision strike operations.
The aircraft received the name “Tejas”, meaning “radiance” in Sanskrit, in 2003 when it was officially named by then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Light Combat Aircraft accidents since their induction into IAF in 2016
The first incident occurred in March 2024, when a HAL Tejas fighter jet crashed near Jaisalmer. The incident occurred during an operational training sortie, and the pilot ejected safely before the aircraft crashed.
“One Tejas aircraft of the Indian Air Force met with an accident at Jaisalmer, today during an operational training sortie. The pilot ejected safely. A Court of Inquiry has been constituted to find out the cause of the accident,” the IAF said in a statement.
The second accident took place in November 2025, when another Tejas aircraft went down during an aerial demonstration at the Dubai Airshow.
The aircraft, part of the IAF fleet, went down while carrying out a maneuver during an aerobatic display. The pilot was killed in the accident.
The crash reportedly occurred during a barrel roll. The HAL Tejas jet had been showcasing the capabilities of India’s 4.5-generation multirole combat aircraft at the international airshow.
During the incident, the Tejas jet was carrying out an aerobatic demonstration when it reportedly lost control and plunged nose-first into the ground near the airfield. It triggered a massive fireball and thick plumes of black smoke that were visible from the event venue. Eyewitness accounts and video recordings showed the aircraft descending sharply in a steep nosedive before exploding on impact.
The IAF confirmed the pilot’s death and said a court of inquiry was initiated to determine the cause of the crash.
“An IAF Tejas aircraft met with an accident during an aerial display at Dubai Air Show, today. The pilot sustained fatal injuries in the accident. IAF deeply regrets the loss of life and stands firmly with the bereaved family in this time of grief. A court of inquiry is being constituted, to ascertain the cause of the accident,” the IAF said on X.
Meanwhile, the recent accident marked the third involving HAL Tejas fighter jets, which occurred at a time when Tejas manufacturer HAL has already fallen behind schedule in delivering the Tejas Mark 1A variant to the Indian Air Force (IAF), as per a PTI report.
The defense ministry, in February 2021, signed a ₹48,000 crore contract with HAL to purchase 83 Tejas Mk-1A fighter jets for the IAF. However, deliveries have been delayed largely because GE Aerospace has missed multiple deadlines for supplying the aircraft engines required for the jets. In September last year, the defense ministry concluded another agreement worth ₹62,370 crore with HAL for the acquisition of 97 additional Tejas Mk-1A light combat aircraft for the IAF.
