Wing Commander Namansh Syal, the Indian Air Force pilot, died when a Tejas fighter jet crashed during a flying demonstration at the Dubai Air Show on Friday. The aircraft -- a single-seat Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) -- went down at around 2:10 pm local time, according to eyewitnesses and videos sourced by NDTV.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu expressed grief over the death of Wing Commander Namansh Syal, calling it "heartbreaking and heart-rending."
"The nation has lost a brave, dutiful, and courageous pilot. I express my deepest condolences to the bereaved family members," he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
"I pay heartfelt tribute to the indomitable bravery, dedication to duty, and commitment to national service of brave son," Sukhu added.
Who Was Namansh Syal?
The 34-year-old pilot was a native of Patiyalkar village in the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh. Syal is survived by his wife, also an IAF officer, their six-year-old daughter and his parents.
Syal did his schooling at Sainik School, Sujanpur Tira, in Hamirpur district, as reported by the news agency PTI.
His father, Jagarnath Syal, too served in the Indian Army before working as a principal in the education department, the news agency ANI reported.
"Namansh Syal's parents are currently at the Sulur Air Force Station near Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu," Ramesh Kumar, a relative of Wing Commander Syal, told the news agency ANI.
"His wife, who also serves in the IAF, is in Kolkata for a course. His father, Jagannath Syal, served in the Indian Army's Medical Corps and later worked in the education department, retiring as a principal. The entire village is very sad today," he added.
Syal was a squadron leader and was due for a promotion, Kumar added.
About Tejas Fighter Jet Crash
Video of the incident indicates that the pilot failed to recover from a negative-G manoeuvre at low altitude, a defining feature of the Tejas in aerial demonstrations. Moments before the impact, the Tejas appeared with its wings level, but by then, the vertical speed of the aircraft was too great, and the aircraft made impact with the ground. The pilot did not eject.
The cause of the crash is uncertain.
