A recent incident occurred involving the Indian Air Force's Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas near Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. The aircraft was involved in a routine training flight when it crashed. Fortunately, the pilot managed to eject without harm.
The Indian Air Force released a statement regarding the event, stating, "An IAF Tejas LCA suffered an accident near Jaisalmer during a regular training mission. The pilot ejected unharmed. An investigation is underway to ascertain the cause of the accident through a Court of Inquiry."
This event is notable as it is the first of its kind for the indigenous aircraft since it first took to the skies 23 years prior. The Tejas LCA, a homegrown supersonic fighter, is a product of India's own aerospace efforts. The project began in 1984 under the Indian government's initiative, leading to the creation of the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) to manage its progress.
The design and production of the Tejas were led by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), India's premier aerospace enterprise. The aircraft was christened 'Tejas' by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2003, which means 'radiance' in Sanskrit. It stands as HAL's second supersonic fighter creation, following the HAL HF-24 Marut.
In a separate incident last month, an IAF Hawk trainer aircraft crashed during a training flight in West Bengal. The aircraft went down near a populated area close to the Kalaikunda Air Force Station, but there were no casualties or property damage reported. Both pilots involved in the incident ejected safely.
