Screengrab of the Tejas aircraft after crashing in Rajasthan. — News18/File
An Indian fighter aircraft named Tejas crashed in the ground of a student hostel in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, in a first since the jet’s recent induction in the Indian Air Force (IAF) in 2016.
As per the IAF, the air crash took place during a training sortie but there were no reports of injuries as the pilot ejected safely from the jet.
Besides being a maiden crash since India’s aqcuisition, Tejas has suffered the first ever mishap since its first test flight in 2001.
The aircraft reportedly crashed in the ground of the students hostel near Lakshmi Chand Sanwal Colony around 2pm.
The IAF said that an investigation into the matter has been requested
“One Tejas aircraft of the Indian Air Force met with an accident at Jaisalmer, today during an operational training sortie. The pilot ejected safely. A Court of Inquiry has been constituted to find out the cause of the accident,” the officials statement read.
The aircraft caught fire following the crash, which has now been put out. However, it is still unknown if the aircraft was a part of the war drills being held in Rajasthan.
“I was standing nearby. The pilot of the plane ejected and I saw a parachute open. The aircraft crashed in a ground and there was a loud explosion,” said an eyewitness.
The IAF also operates a twin-seat trainer version of the single-seat Tejas fighter aircraft, which is also flown by the Indian Navy.
The Technology Demonstrator-1 (TD-1) made its first test flight in 2001, and on March 22, 2016, the Second Series Production (SP2) version of the Tejas aircraft with the Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) configuration made its first flight.
Additionally, the other 4.5-generation Light Combat Aircraft Tejas is a multi-role fighter aircraft that can support ground operations with close combat support and offensive air support.
Because of its diminutive size and heavy reliance on composite materials, Tejas is the lightest and most compact aircraft in its class.
No 45 Squadron, popularly referred to as the “Flying Daggers,” was the first IAF Squadron to accept the Tejas aircraft in 2016. In 2020, the second IAF unit to fly the Tejas was No 18 Squadron.
With a deal valued at over ₹36,000 crore, the IAF is set to receive an additional 83 Tejas MK-1A fighters in addition to the 40 Tejas MK-1 aircraft it now operates.
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