NEW DELHI: Light combat aircraft (LCA) manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) has denied reports of a crash involving a Tejas fighter earlier this month. Issuing a clarification on X on Monday, the defence PSU said, “There has been no reported crash of an LCA Tejas. The event in question was a minor technical incident on ground.”Swearing by the indigenous jet’s safety record, HAL further said, “LCA Tejas maintains one of the world’s best safety records among contemporary fighter aircraft. As a standard operating procedure, the issue is being analysed in depth and HAL is working closely with the IAF for a speedy resolution.”Sources told TOI a Tejas fighter jet met with a “minor incident” while landing after a routine training sortie at an IAF air base, but there was “no crash”. “After the minor incident, IAF, in collaboration with HAL, is conducting extensive checks on the Tejas fleet,” they said.Till now, there have been only two crashes of Tejas aircraft. In March 2024, the fighter faced its first crash near Jaisalmer, while returning from a firepower demonstration. The pilot managed to eject successfully. The second crash happened in Nov 2025 during an aerobatic display at the Dubai airshow, killing the pilot.
