IAF’s Tejas jet crashes at Dubai Airshow, killing Wing Commander Namansh Syal; family learns of tragedy through YouTube. Photo: X.
Tejas Jet Crash: A video widely circulating online shows Wing Commander Syal interacting with defence officials shortly before the display. The officer, who hailed from Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra district, appeared composed and smiling as he readied for the sortie that turned fatal moments later.
An Indian Air Force Tejas fighter jet crashed during an aerobatic demonstration at the Dubai Airshow on Friday, killing the pilot, Wing Commander Namansh Syal. The single-engine Tejas Mark-1 went down during a low-altitude manoeuvre, plunging straight into the ground and erupting into flames as debris scattered across the venue at Al Maktoum International Airport.
According to initial reports, the aircraft failed to recover from a negative-G turn before crashing at approximately 2.10 pm local time. Emergency teams rushed to the spot, but the impact left no chance of survival.
The Tejas, a lightweight, multi-role fighter jet manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and powered by a GE-F404 turbofan engine, has been part of the IAF fleet for over a decade. Friday’s crash marks the second accident involving the aircraft.
In the previous incident near Jaisalmer on March 12 last year, the pilot had ejected safely while returning from the Bharat Shakti military exercise at Pokhran. Wing Commander Syal, an experienced fighter pilot, was not as fortunate this time.
Back home, the tragedy unfolded in an unexpected and painful way. Syal’s father, Jagan Nath Syal, learned about the crash while browsing YouTube for updates from the Dubai Airshow.
“Around 4 pm today, I was searching videos of the ongoing air show in Dubai on YouTube when I saw reports about the plane crash,” he told The Indian Express.
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
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