India’s indigenously developed multi-role fighter aircraft, the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas, is once again under scrutiny.
Following another accident earlier this month, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has reportedly grounded all operational Tejas aircraft as a precautionary measure, according to The Sunday Guardian.
The latest incident marks the third accident involving the LCA Tejas, raising fresh concerns about operational safety.
According to The Economic Times, the accident occurred at a key air base while the fighter jet was landing after a training sortie. The pilot escaped without serious injuries. However, the aircraft sustained severe damage and is likely to be written off.
The reason behind the accident could be due to a suspected brake failure after landing, which caused the single-seater aircraft to run off the runway, reported The Print.
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This is the third such incident involving the Tejas. The first occurred in March 2024, when an LCA crashed near Jaisalmer after returning from a firepower demonstration. The pilot ejected safely.
The second incident took place at the Dubai Airshow in November 2025, when a Tejas aircraft crashed during an aerobatic display. The pilot was unable to eject in time and was killed in the accident.
The decision to ground the Tejas fleet will allow officials to conduct detailed safety inspections and technical evaluations to identify any faults or maintenance-related issues that could pose risks to pilots.
So far, the IAF has not issued an official statement regarding the latest accident that led to the fleet’s grounding.
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The LCA Tejas programme includes multiple variants currently under production and development, including a single-seater fighter for Air Force, a single-seater fighter for Navy, a twin-seater trainer aircraft for Air Force and a twin-seater trainer version for Navy.
The aircraft involved in the recent accident was part of the 32 single-seat LCA Tejas jets delivered to the IAF by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).