Air Force Pilot Namansh Syal Seen at Dubai Air Show Before Tragic Tejas Jet Crash
IAF pilot dies after Tejas fighter jet crashes during Dubai Air Show display.
In a video that has since gone viral and left the nation in tears, Wing Commander Namansh Syal is seen standing tall and smiling confidently alongside Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth, India’s Ambassador to the UAE Deepak Mittal, and Additional Secretary (Gulf) Aseem R. Mahajan at the Dubai Air Show venue. Dressed in his flight suit, the decorated pilot from Patiyalkar village in Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra district appeared in high spirits, unaware that these would be some of his final moments. Friends and family describe the 34-year-old as an exceptionally humble and dedicated officer who was on the verge of promotion to a higher rank.
Tragedy struck at approximately 2:10 pm local time on Friday when the single-seat Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas, developed indigenously by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), crashed near Al Maktoum International Airport during a scheduled flying demonstration. Eyewitness footage shows the aircraft entering a negative-G manoeuvre at dangerously low altitude, failing to recover before impacting the ground in a massive fireball. Despite the pilot’s evident attempt to regain control, there was no ejection, and Wing Commander Syal was declared dead at the scene. The Indian Air Force has ordered a high-level Court of Inquiry to determine the exact cause of the mishap.
This devastating incident marks only the second crash in the Tejas programme’s 24-year history and the first-ever fatal accident involving the aircraft. The previous crash occurred in March 2024 in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, where the pilot successfully ejected and survived. Aviation experts note that air-show routines push both man and machine to their limits, often performed much closer to the ground than in regular operations, leaving little margin for error during complex manoeuvres.
Wing Commander Syal is survived by his wife, herself a serving Indian Air Force officer, their six-year-old daughter, and his grieving parents. Back in his village, shock and sorrow prevail as neighbours remember a soft-spoken hero who had brought immense pride to the region. “He was supposed to be promoted soon… the entire village is heartbroken,” a relative told media persons, echoing the sentiment of a nation mourning one of its bravest sons.
