When the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft, the LCA Tejas, crashed during a demonstration flight at the recent Dubai Airshow, killing Wing Commander Naman Syal, it prompted furious social media debate over the safety of the Indian fighter program. But far from being a roadblock to development, a comparative examination of the accident record reveals that the Tejas program retains an enviably good safety record — proof that the setback is merely an opportunity for technical improvement.
Experts say that the number of unpublicized crashes in the Pakistani and Chinese fleets shows a single technical failure cannot undermine a successful indigenous defense initiative.
Tejas Crash Puts Spotlight On Global Safety Records
The loss of the Tejas trainer variant in November 2025 is thus only the second accident since the program’s first flight in 2001, showcasing its overall robust design and rigorous testing phase.
Incident Details: The 2025 crash is still under investigation, but preliminary reports suggest a loss of control during a low-level maneuver. The previous incident occurred in March 2024 in Jaisalmer; an oil pump malfunctioned, leading to the crash of a trainer variant, from which the pilot was able to eject safely.
Scientific resilience is underpinned by the Tejas’ reliance on the dependable American technology of the GE F404 engine. Single-engine fighters carry higher risk by default, but immediate learning and fleet-wide audits, among other features, constitute the R&D strength of this program, with flight operations continuing unabated by the IAF.
Pakistan’s Fleet Plagued By Engine Failures And Maintenance
The PAF operates a fleet of American, French, and jointly developed Chinese jets that are largely outdated, and there have been over 20 confirmed crashes since the year 2000, with multiple pilot fatalities.
JF-17 Thunder (5 Crashes): The joint China-Pakistan venture, operational since the year 2003, has seen five major crashes in the span of 13 years. Primary causes include multiple instances of engine failure (specifically the Russian RD-93), hydraulic system failure, and severe bird strikes. The most recent crash of a Block-2 variant in June 2024 was reportedly due to Russian engine issues.
F-16 Fighting Falcon (8+ Crashes): The US-origin jets have also been hit by multiple accidents, including mid-air collisions, engine failures due to poor maintenance, and bird strikes.
Root Cause: This high rate is mainly because of poor maintenance, aging airframes (Mirage), and reliance on foreign engines whose quality control is inconsistent.
China’s J-Series Struggles With Quality Control And Design Flaws
China’s domestically produced J-series fighters have encountered a number of fatal crashes, which, though unpublicized, are reportedly quite high, many due to problems with indigenous technology.
The key technical issue for China is, in a word, the engine-reliability of the WS-10, which has shown consistent flaws in quality control, material defects, and mechanical breakdown. The latter is common from reverse-engineering Russian designs, such as the Su-27-derived J-11.
J-15 Flying Shark (4+ Crashes): The carrier-based jet has been grounded on several occasions due to highly unstable flight control systems and technical failures during complex carrier landings. A 2016 training crash resulted in the death of pilot Zhang Chao.
Incidents on older models, such as the J-7 and J-8, continue; a 2022 crash of a J-7 hit residential homes, underscoring systemic control loss issues.
Why One Setback Won’t Ground The Tejas Program
The global trend in advanced fighter development shows that such isolated incidents, though tragic, are part of the R&D process and rarely stop a program.
Comparative Production: Accidents numbering into the dozens for the JF-17 fleet have not deterred Pakistan and China from producing more than 150 of these aircraft. Similarly, the F-16 remains one of the most widely flown jets globally, despite over 100 crashes worldwide.
Indigenous Strength: The Tejas is a critical indigenous program, with 180 Mk1A variants already ordered by the IAF and the more advanced Mk2 variant in development. The IAF has not grounded the fleet, which hints at a belief in the fundamental design of the aircraft.
Scientific Learning: Every crash is treated as an isolated failure demanding immediate analysis and corrective action, such as strengthening engine health monitoring and auditing systems. This setback will only strengthen the final product in the case of the Tejas and guarantee long-term flight safety.
