The manufacturer of the Tejas fighter jet, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), has refuted reports of the plane crash and said the event in question was a minor technical accident on the ground.
HAL said the LCA Tejas maintains one of the world’s best safety records among contemporary fighter aircraft.
“HAL acknowledges the recent media reports about the LCA Tejas incident and wishes to provide a factual clarification. No crash of LCA Tejas has been reported. The event in question was a minor technical incident on the ground,” HAL said in its statement shared on X.
“As a standard operating procedure, the issue is being analyzed in depth and HAL is working closely with the Indian Air Force (IAF) for a speedy resolution,” the statement added.
A Tejas light fighter jet of the Indian Air Force (IAF) sustained severe damage to its airframe after overshooting the runway at a frontline air base earlier this month, news agency PTI and several other agencies reported. The reports did not provide information about the location of the accident.
The plane was returning to base after conducting a training sortie when it encountered a suspected brake failure, causing it to run off the runway on February 7, the report said, adding that as a result of the incident, the plane sustained major structural damage.
The sources said in the report that the pilot jumped safely and escaped unharmed.
The accident, which HAL described as a minor technical mishap on the ground, marks the third accident involving the Tejas since it entered service in 2015. The first accident occurred near Jaisalmer in March 2024. The second accident occurred in November 2025 during an air show at the Dubai Air Show, in which the pilot lost his life.
The Tejas fighter is designed by the Aeronautics Development Agency and is manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
Tejas is a single-engine, multi-role fighter aircraft capable of operating in high-threat air environments, designed for air defence, maritime reconnaissance and strike roles.
The Indian Air Force currently has 30 Tejas aircraft in its fleet.
