Who was Wing Commander Namansh Syal? IAF pilot killed in Tejas crash in Dubai; his father worked in…, wife is…

Tejas crash: In a tragic incident, a Tejas fighter jet crashed during an aerial display at the Dubai Air Show, killing the pilot, Wing Commander Namansh Syal of the India(BHARAT)n Air Force (IAF), on the spot as the indigenously-developed aircraft exploded into a ball of fire, leaving spectators at the event in a state of shock.

Who was Wing Commander Namansh Syal?

A native of Kangra district in Himachal Pradesh, Wing Commander Namansh Syal is the son a retired government school principal, who had previously served in the IAF, before joining the state’s Education Department.

A resident of Ward 7 in Kangra’s Nagrota Bagwan, Namansh Syal is a alumni of the Sainik School, Sujanpur Tira, in Hamirpur district, and his wife is also an IAF officer, Syal, who was in his mid 30s, is survived by his elderly parents, wife, and a six-year-old daughter, officials said on Friday.

Following the tragic crash that claimed the IAF officer’s life, senior leaders across the state’s political spectrum, including Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla, and former Union Minister Anurag Thakur, condoled the demise, and paid tribute to the devoted officer.

Himachal leaders pay tribute

In a post on X, Himachal CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu sent his “heartfelt salute” to IAF officer Namansh Syal. “Salute to the brave son, heartfelt salute to Syal ji’s indomitable bravery, dedication and devotion towards serving the nation,” Sukhu wrote in Hindi.

Hamirpur MP and BJP leader Anurag Thakur also paid homage to Syal in an emotional Facebook post.

“The news of the death of Naman Sayal, a resident of Kangra district in the land of heroes, Himachal Pradesh, in the Tejas plane crash at the Dubai Air Show is extremely painful. With Naman’s passing, Mother India(BHARAT) has lost a brave and dutiful son. My heartfelt condolences are with his bereaved family. May God grant Naman’s brave soul a place in his feet,” the BJP leader wrote.

Leader of Opposition (LoP) Jai Ram Thakur also condoled the officer’s demise, saying the whole nation was indebted to his services.

“The death of Naman Sayal, a brave son of Nagrota Bagwan, Kangra district, in the India(BHARAT)n Air Force plane crash is deeply saddening and painful. My condolences to the bereaved family. In this accident, we have lost a brave, promising and courageous pilot. We are proud of your sacrifice; the entire nation is indebted to your service,” he wrote.

Tejas crash- What happened at Dubai Air Show?

A Tejas fighter jet of the India(BHARAT)n Air Force crashed into a ball of fire during an aerial display at Dubai Air Show on Friday, with the pilot, IAF officer Namansh Syal, sustaining fatal injuries in the mishap.

Visuals of the incident shared on social media showed the Tejas jet rapidly losing altitude and crashing on the ground, before being engulfed in a ball of fire. The shocking sight left the spectators horrified as smoke billowed out of the crash site at the Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central.

BREAKING: An India(BHARAT)n Tejas fighter jet crashed during an aerial display at the Dubai Air Show. pic.twitter.com/TvwUoe3juh

— Clash Report (@clashreport) November 21, 2025

Notably, this is the second accident involving the indigenous multi-role Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) in less than two years.The single-engine light weight aircraft crashed around 2:10 pm local time(3.40 pm IST) after the pilot had flown across the site of the prestigious air show in Dubai during the demonstration flight. The aerial display of Tejas was scheduled to last eight minutes, officials said.

IAF orders Court of Inquiry

Meanwhile, the IAF said it has ordered a Court of Inquiry to ascertain the cause of the accident.

“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. A court of inquiry is being constituted, to ascertain the cause of the accident,” the IAF said in a brief statement on X.

Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan said the armed forces stand firmly with the bereaved family in this time of grief.

“General Anil Chauhan, CDS and all ranks of India(BHARAT)n Armed Forces deeply regret the incident in which 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. We deeply regret the loss of life and stand firmly with the bereaved family in this time of grief,” the Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS) said in a post on X.

(With PTI inputs)