Major damage was suffered by the airframe of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas that overshot the runway at a frontline airbase on Saturday, 7 February. A brake failure, as reported earlier, is suspected to have caused the incident, sources reportedly told news agency PTI on Sunday.
It is learnt that the indigenously developed multi-role fighter aircraft was returning to the base after carrying out a training sortie. The pilot of the aircraft ejected safely, they said.
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There was no official word from the IAF on the accident that took place earlier this month. Following the incident, the IAF grounded the entire fleet of around 30 single-seat Tejas jets to carry out an extensive technical scrutiny, the sources said.
What is a fighter jet's airframe?
The airframe of a fighter plane is the aircraft’s main physical structure—excluding the engine, avionics, weapons, and other internal systems. Its main components include the fuselage (the structural "hub" where the wings and tail are attached, housing the cockpit and internal fuel tanks), landing gear, control surfaces (various moving parts that allow the pilot to manoeuvre), wings, and tail assembly.
The airframes of fighter jets are designed in such a manner that they suit high-speed aerodynamics, extreme manoeuvrability, high G-force tolerance, and low radar signature, among other characteristics.
LCA Tejas under scrutiny
It was the third accident involving the Tejas jets. The first took place in March 2024, when a Tejas jet crashed near Jaisalmer. The second incident took place in November 2025, when a Tejas jet crashed during an aerial display at the Dubai Airshow.
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 February 2021, the Defence Ministry sealed a £4.8 billion (Rs 48,000 crore) deal with HAL for the procurement of 83 Tejas Mk-1A jets for the IAF.
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The delivery of the jets is facing delays primarily due to GE Aerospace missing several deadlines for the supply of its aero engines to power the jets. The Defence Ministry, in September last year, sealed another deal worth £6.2 billion (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. It has been designed to undertake air defence, maritime reconnaissance, and strike roles.