NEW DELHI: Wing Commander Namansh Syal was identified as the pilot of the ill-fated Tejas fighter jet that crashed during the Dubai Airshow on Friday, news agency ANI reported. Syal, 37, was a resident of Patialkadh in Nagrota Bagwan tehsil, Himachal Pradesh.
Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu paid tribute to the officer, who hailed from Kangra district. In a message on X, he wrote, “The news of the demise of Himachal Pradesh's Kangra district's brave son Naman Syal ji in the Tejas aircraft accident at the Dubai Air Show is extremely heartbreaking and soul-shattering. The nation has lost a courageous, dutiful, and valiant pilot.”
The Indian Air Force confirmed that the Tejas aircraft “met with an accident” during the demonstration and that the pilot sustained fatal injuries.
The Tejas, performing an eight-minute aerial display, was seen abruptly losing altitude during what appeared to be a low-level manoeuvre. Visuals broadcast across multiple channels showed the jet plunging to the ground and erupting into a ball of fire, sending thick black smoke into the sky above Al Maktoum International Airport. Spectators at the grandstand, including families and children, watched in shock as emergency teams rushed to the crash site.
The IAF issued a brief statement following the accident, saying it “deeply regrets the loss of life” and announcing that a court of inquiry has been constituted to determine the cause. More details are expected in the coming days.
Defence minister Rajnath Singh said he was “deeply anguished” by the death of the “brave and courageous” pilot. “My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family. The nation stands firmly with the family in this tragic hour,” he said in a post on X.
Chief of defence staff general Anil Chauhan also offered condolences, affirming that the armed forces stand with the family “in this time of grief.”
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