Indian Air Force grounds Tejas single-seat fleet after jet crashed due to brake failure on Feb 7

The Indian Air Force (IAF) lost another Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) in an accident earlier this month, triggering the grounding of the entire fleet and extensive technical checks. According to a Press Trust of India report, the light combat aircraft sustained damage to its airframe after it overshot the runway at a frontline airbase following a suspected brake failure.

The source told the new outlet that a major tragedy was averted after the pilot ejected from the aircraft safely. As per the report, the incident took place when the aircraft was returning to the base after carrying out a training sortie. There has been no official statement from the Indian Air Force, with the source telling PTI that the accident took place on February 7.

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The unnamed source said that soon after the incident, the IAF grounded the entire fleet of around 30 single-seat Tejas jets to carry out an extensive technical scrutiny. What is concerning is the fact that this is the third accident involving the Tejas jets.

Third Tejas accident

The first Tejas jet crashed in March 2024 in Jaisalmer. The aircraft was returning from a firepower demonstration when the accident happened. In that case, too, the pilot ejected safely.

The second tragic incident took place during an aerobatic display at the Dubai Airshow in November 2025. The pilot, Wing Commander Namansh Syal, lost his life after suffering fatal injuries in the crash. The video from the crash showed that the aircraft plunged to the ground and burst into flames. An inquiry into the crash is currently underway.

It is pertient to note that the latest accident comes at a time when Tejas maker Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) has missed several deadlines to supply the Tejas Mark 1A variant of the aircraft to the IAF. In 2021, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh sealed a Rs 48,000 crore deal with HAL for the procurement of 83 Tejas Mk-1A jets for the IAF.

However, the delivery of the jets has been facing delays primarily due to GE Aerospace missing several deadlines for the supply of its aero engines to power the jets. In September last year, the defence ministry finalised another deal worth Rs 62,370 crore with HAL to procure 97 Tejas MK-1A light combat aircraft for the IAF.

Tejas is a single-engine multi-role fighter aircraft capable of operating in high-threat air environments. The aircraft has been designed to undertake air defence, maritime reconnaissance and strike roles.

With inputs from PTI.