The pilot of the ill-fated Tejas fighter aircraft that crashed during the Dubai Air Show 2025 on Friday was identified as Wing Commander Namansh Syal, according to officials. Wing Commander Syal, hailing from the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, had failed to eject from the aircraft after it lost control and crashed at the Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central.
34-year-old Wing Commander Syal, a resident of Nagrota Bagwan in Kangra, was trained in MiG-21, which was recently retired from the Indian Air Force's services, and also had the experience of flying Sukhoi Su-30 MKIs. Lately, he was flying Tejas of the third Squadron.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu paid tribute to Wing Commander Syal and said the country has lost a "brave, dutiful, and courageous pilot". "I express my deepest condolences to the bereaved family members. I pay heartfelt tribute to the indomitable bravery, dedication to duty, and commitment to national service of brave son, Wing Commander Namansh Syal," Sukhu posted in Hindi on X.
IAF orders probe over Tejas crash
The crash took place around 2.10 pm (local time), with eyewitnesses saying that the aircraft had failed to regain altitude after it inverted itself and descended before hitting the ground. The IAF has now ordered court of inquiry to ascertain the cause of the accident. It should be noted that this is the second time in 20 months that the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) was involved in a crash. The previous accident occurred in March last year in Rajasthan's Jaisalmer, but the pilot had managed to safely eject.
"An IAF Tejas aircraft met with an accident during an aerial display at Dubai Air Show, today. The pilot sustained fatal injuries in the accident. IAF deeply regrets the loss of life and stands firmly with the bereaved family in this time of grief," the IAF posted on X.
Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), the manufacturer of Tejas aircraft, said it 'deeply saddened' by Wing Commander Namansh Syal's death, expressing its heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family. "HAL is deeply saddened by the loss of the courageous IAF pilot during the aerial display at the Dubai Air Show," it said.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also said he was deeply anguished at the loss of a "brave and courageous IAF pilot". "My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family. The nation stands firmly with the family in this tragic hour," he said in a post of X.
