Tragedy at Dubai Air Show: IAF Wing Commander Namansh Syal Dies in Tejas Fighter Jet Crash

Wing Commander Namansh Syal was seen with Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth and Indian officials

New Delhi:

Indian Air Force Wing Commander Namansh Syal died after a Tejas fighter jet he was flying crashed during an aerial display at the Dubai Air Show on Friday.

A video has now emerged showing Wing Commander Syal, a resident of Himachal Pradesh's Kangra, before the tragic incident.

In the footage from the Dubai Air Show, he was captured with Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth, India's Ambassador to the UAE, Deepak Mittal, and Additional Secretary (Gulf) in the Ministry of External Affairs, Aseem R Mahajan.

The 34-year-old pilot is reportedly survived by his wife, also an Indian Air Force officer, their six-year-old daughter, and his parents.

"The entire village is deeply saddened today," a relative of Wing Commander Syal from Patiyalkar village told ANI.

"He was due for promotion. At 34, he was already a squadron leader. He was an incredibly humble person," the relative added.

The Tejas fighter jet crashed on Friday afternoon during a flying demonstration at the Dubai Air Show near the Al Maktoum International Airport.

The aircraft -- a single-seat Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) -- went down at approximately 2:10 pm local time.

Video evidence of the incident suggests that the pilot was unable to recover from a negative-G manoeuvre at low altitude.

Clearer footage of the Indian Air Force crash at the Dubai Air Show https://t.co/EOfroFXtyS pic.twitter.com/mxkTNNderS

The IAF has stated it has constituted a court of inquiry to determine 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…

This incident marks the second crash involving a Tejas aircraft in less than two years. In March last year, a Tejas fighter jet crashed in Rajasthan's Jaisalmer, which was the first such accident in the aircraft's 23-year history since its maiden test flight in 2001. In that incident, the pilot ejected safely.