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3 min readNew DelhiFeb 24, 2026 05:20 AM IST
The accident took place when the aircraft overshot the runway during takeoff and slid into an adjoining mud patch.
THE INDIAN Air Force’s (IAF) Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas fleet is undergoing extensive maintenance checks after one of the aircraft was involved in an accident at a forward air base earlier this month, sources told The Indian Express.
The accident took place when the aircraft overshot the runway during takeoff and slid into an adjoining mud patch. The pilot is learnt to have sustained injuries, and the airframe is learnt to have suffered damage.
While there was no official word from the IAF on whether the airframe will be written off following the incident, sources said the Tejas fleet is undergoing comprehensive maintenance checks, which is part of the standard operating procedure after any such incident. A decision on whether to write off the aircraft is yet to be taken.
There was no word on the extent of injuries suffered by the pilot, even as sources said whiplash injuries are common in such cases.
In a statement issued on Monday, state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), which is the manufacturer of the aircraft, said there has been no reported “crash” of the LCA Tejas.
“The event in question was a minor technical incident on the ground. LCA Tejas maintains one of the world’s best safety records among contemporary fighter aircraft,” it said.
It said that as a standard operating procedure, the issue is being analysed in depth, and HAL is working closely with the IAF for a speedy resolution. Both are part of the Board of Inquiry investigating the incident.
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This is the third incident involving a Tejas aircraft. In November last year, IAF pilot Wing Commander Namansh Syal was killed after a Tejas Mk 1 fighter jet crashed during an aerial display at the Dubai Air Show. The first crash of a Tejas Mk 1 aircraft was in March 2024 near Jaisalmer during a training sortie. The pilot had then ejected safely.
The IAF currently has two operational squadrons of the Tejas Mk1, one each at Naliya in Gujarat and Sulur near Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu.
The IAF is scheduled to receive 180 Tejas Mk1A from HAL – delivery is yet to commence.
The Tejas Mk1A, powered by General Electric F404 engines, has multiple upgrades over the Mk1 version, including integration of the AESA radar, Advanced Electronic Warfare Suite with jammer, and Beyond Visual Range capabilities with integration of Derby and the indigenous ASTRA missile. The deliveries have been delayed, and the IAF has agreed to receive the deliveries for the initial batches of the aircraft with some concessions.
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The newly inaugurated production line in Nashik has the capacity to manufacture eight aircraft every year, and can be increased to 10. HAL is expected to produce a total of 24 aircraft annually. Additionally, HAL is also developing the LCA Mk2 jets for the IAF.
Amrita Nayak Dutta writes on defence and national security as part of the national bureau of The Indian Express. In the past, Amrita has extensively reported on the media industry and broadcasting matters, urban affairs, bureaucracy and government policies. In the last 14 years of her career, she has worked in newspapers as well as in the online media space and is well versed with the functioning of both newsrooms. Amrita has worked in the northeast, Mumbai and Delhi. She has travelled extensively across the country, including in far-flung border areas, to bring detailed reports from the ground and has written investigative reports on media and defence. She has been working for The Indian Express since January 2023. ... Read More
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