Overview
- Media reports citing PTI say a Tejas jet overshot a runway on February 7 after a suspected brake failure during landing, and the pilot ejected safely.
- Sources reported significant airframe damage and said the Indian Air Force grounded roughly 30 single-seat Tejas aircraft for comprehensive technical inspections.
- Hindustan Aeronautics Limited issued an official clarification denying any crash and described the episode as a minor technical incident on the ground, adding it is working with the IAF.
- If confirmed as an accident, this would be the third serious Tejas incident since 2024, following a March 2024 crash near Jaisalmer and a fatal Dubai Airshow crash in November 2025.
- Programme pressures persist as Mk1A deliveries run behind schedule, with reporting attributing delays largely to GE engine supply and integration issues under large 2021 and 2025 IAF orders.