New Delhi: The Indian Air Force (IAF) has grounded its entire fleet of Tejas light combat aircraft after a jet sustained major airframe damage when it overshot the runway at a frontline airbase earlier this month following a suspected brake failure.
Sources said the single-seat Tejas aircraft was returning to base after a training sortie when the February 7 incident occurred. The pilot ejected safely. There has been no official statement from the IAF on the accident.
Following the mishap, the IAF grounded around 30 single-seat Tejas jets to conduct extensive technical checks across the fleet.
The accident is the third involving Tejas aircraft. A jet crashed near Jaisalmer in March 2024, while another went down during an aerial display at the Dubai Airshow in November 2025.
The latest incident comes as Tejas manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) has missed multiple deadlines to deliver the Tejas Mark-1A variant to the IAF. (Agencies)
