IAF's LCA Tejas Fighter Jet Crashes In Rajasthan's Jaisalmer, Pilot Ejected Safely

An LCA Tejas aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed in Rajasthan's Jaisalmer on Tuesday (12 March).

The pilot of the aircraft has landed safely.

This reportedly marks the first-ever crash of the fighter jet which had a safety run of 23 years.

"One Tejas aircraft of the Indian Air Force met with an accident at Jaisalmer, today during an operational training sortie," the IAF said on X, adding that the pilot ejected safely.

"A Court of Inquiry has been constituted to find out the cause of the accident," the IAF added.

The crash site is around 100 km away from the venue where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is attending the Bharat Shakti tri-services firepower exercise.

Videos of the incident circulating on social media showed that the landing gear of the aircraft was down before it crashed. Further, the pilot, who successfully ejected from the aircraft, can also be seen in the video.

The incident marked the first crash 23 years after the homegrown LCA's first flight, and nearly a decade into its operational service with the Indian Air Force.

The Tejas, which began IAF service in 2016, currently populates two squadrons of nearly 40 jets, with 180 improved Tejas Mk1A jets on order, Livefist reported.