Wing Commander Namansh Syal of the Indian Air Force died when his Tejas fighter jet crashed during a flying demonstration at the Dubai Air Show on Friday. The single-seat Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), went down around 2:10 pm local time, eyewitnesses and video footage confirmed.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu expressed his grief, calling Syal’s death “heartbreaking and heart-rending.” On X (formerly Twitter), Sukhu wrote, “The nation has lost a brave, dutiful, and courageous pilot. I express my deepest condolences to the bereaved family members,” and paid tribute to Syal’s bravery, dedication, and commitment to national service.
Syal, 34, hailed from Patiyalkar village in Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh. He is survived by his wife, also an IAF officer, their six-year-old daughter, and his parents. He had studied at Sainik School, Sujanpur Tira, in Hamirpur district. His father, Jagarnath Syal, served in the Indian Army before working as a principal in the education department. Relatives said his parents are currently at Sulur Air Force Station in Tamil Nadu, while his wife is attending a course in Kolkata. Syal was serving as a squadron leader and was due for a promotion.
Preliminary observations from video footage suggest that the pilot failed to recover from a negative-G manoeuvre at low altitude, a manoeuvre commonly performed during aerial demonstrations. Just before the impact, the aircraft’s wings appeared level, but the vertical speed was too great, and the jet crashed. The pilot did not eject. The exact cause of the crash remains under investigation.
