HAL addresses LCA Tejas ‘accident’, works with Air Force for resolution – Here’s what the PSU said
Addressing the reports, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) on Monday, February 23, clarified that there was no accident at LCA Tejas, only a minor technical incident.
“HAL acknowledges the recent media reports regarding the LCA Tejas incident and wishes to clarify the facts. No accident was reported at LCA Tejas. The incident in question was a minor technical incident at the site,” the file said.
Maharatna PSU made the announcement following reports that the Indian Air Force (IAF) had grounded its entire fleet of Tejas light combat aircraft following an accident earlier this month. The fuselage of the fighter jet was seriously damaged in the incident, PTI reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.
HAL assured that LCA Tejas has the highest safety record among fighter jets. Meanwhile, the company stated that it has conducted a detailed analysis and is working with the Indian Air Force to resolve the issue immediately.
“LCA Tejas maintains one of the world’s best safety records among contemporary fighter aircraft. As a standard operating procedure, the issue is being analyzed in depth and HAL is working closely with the Indian Air Force (IAF) for a speedy resolution,” HAL said.
Existing security measures have been taken for comprehensive technical review, sources familiar with the matter told the news portal.
Abot LCA Tejas reported the incident
The reported incident occurred on February 7, 2026. This was the third accident involving Tejas jets built by the Aviation Development Agency.
According to the report, serious damage occurred to the fuselage of the aircraft due to brake failure. The jet overshot the runway at a front-line air base. The pilot escaped uninjured. While the aircraft, which had just participated in a training sortie, was returning to base, a system failure occurred and caused the pilot to eject from the aircraft.
The latest incident occurred months after the plane crash in Dubai. Tejas crash at Dubai Airshow in November 2025 led to the death of the pilot on board. This was the second accident in the history of Tejas since it entered service in 2015. The first Tejas crash occurred in March 2024, when a fighter jet crashed near Jaisalmer.
HAL share price
Shares of Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) fell as much as 4.5 percent on the day, mainly due to the third crash involving the Tejas jet, prompting investors to re-evaluate risks related to execution and delivery visibility, Mint had reported earlier.
At the time of writing, the HAL share price was at: ₹It fell 3.78% to 4,015.15 per capita on BSE. Shares opened on: ₹4,150 each.
