The pilot managed to eject to safety and the plane crashed into civilian structures on the ground, but no injuries have been reported. It is learnt that prior to the crash, the pilot indicated an engine failure in a distress message.
Videos shot by bystanders showed the pilot ejecting from the fighter jet, which is seen veering towards the ground at slow speed.
The crash is being investigated by the Indian Air Force. Sources said that an engine fault is being probed as the jet appears to have lost power while on approach to land at the Jaisalmer airbase. Investigators will probe all possibilities, including whether an oil leak may have led to seizing of the engine. Minutes before the crash, the fighter had taken part in Exercise Bharat Shakti at Pokhran, which was a display of firepower utilising indigenous equipment like the Tejas, Light Combat Helicopters and a range of tanks, guns and specialist vehicles.
The Air Force currently operates two squadrons of Tejas Light Combat Aircraft – No. 45 and No. 10 – and has an additional 83 of an upgraded variant on order.
In last July, IAF had celebrated seven years of accident-free service of the jets in service. Notably, the aircraft retained its safety record during its nearly two-decade development phase too.An order for 83 LCA Mk1A fighters, which will have updated avionics, ‘active electronically steered radar’, a new electronic warfare suite and ‘beyond visual range missile capability’, has been placed with the first jet set to be delivered this year.IAF is also looking to place an order for 97 additional LCA Mk1A fighter jets, while the Aeronautical Development Agency is developing an Mk2 version of the jet that will be powered by a higher thrust engine.
