‘Minor incident on ground’: HAL denies Tejas fighter ‘crash’ reports; defends jet’s safety record | India News

New Delhi: Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) on Monday dismissed reports that Hindustan Tejas fighter jets suffered “significant damage”. indian air force The International Air Force (IAF) called it a “minor technical incident on the ground”.HAL refuted the earlier reports, saying, “HAL acknowledges the recent media reports on the LCA Glorious Incident and wishes to provide factual clarification. There have been no reports of crashes of LCA Tejas fighter jets. The incident in question was a small technical incident on the ground. “To further ensure Tejas’s safety record, it added: “LCA Tejas maintains one of the best safety records in the world among contemporary fighter jets. The issue is being analyzed in depth as a standard operating procedure and HAL is working closely with the Indian Air Force (IAF) to resolve the issue expeditiously.”Earlier media reports stated that on February 7, a “Tejas” light fighter of the Indian Air Force overran the runway due to suspected brake failure at a frontline air base, and the fuselage suffered serious damage. According to previous reports, the pilot of the aircraft ejected safely.The Illustrious has been involved in two incidents in the past. The first incident occurred in March 2024 when a Tejas jet crashed near Jaisalmer. The second time occurred in November 2025, when another Tejas jet crashed during an aerial display at the Dubai Air Show.In February 2021, the Indian Ministry of Defense signed a contract worth 480 billion rupees with HAL to purchase 83 Tejas Mk-1A jets for the Indian Air Force. Deliveries have since faced delays, largely because GE Aerospace has repeatedly missed deadlines for the aeroengines that power the planes.In September last year, the Indian Ministry of Defense finalized another agreement worth 623.7 billion rupees with HAL to purchase an additional 97 Tejas Mk-1A light fighter jets for the Indian Air Force.Tejas is a single-engine, multi-role fighter aircraft designed to operate in high-threat environments and capable of performing air defense, maritime reconnaissance and strike missions.