This is the first time a Tejas aircraft has crashed.
Jaisalmer/New Delhi:
A Tejas aircraft of the Indian Air Force crashed in the compund of a student hostel in Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer during a training sortie. The pilot has ejected safely and no injuries have been reported on the ground.
This is the first crash of the indigenous jet since its first test flight, 23 years ago, in 2001. The Tejas was inducted into the Indian Air Force in 2016.
The plane crashed on the ground of the student’s hostel. The pilot ejected safely, the Air Force said, adding that a probe has been ordered into the incident.
“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 Indian Air Force said on X.
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.— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) March 12, 2024
The aircraft caught fire after the crash, which has now been doused. Â It is not clear whether the plane was part of the war games taking place in Rajasthan.Â
A witness said, “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.”
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