Who was Wg Cdr Namansh Syal, the IAF pilot killed in Dubai Tejas crash?

Wing Commander Namansh Syal, 37, was performing a low-level aerobatic manoeuvre when the LCA Mk-1 went down; IAF has ordered court of inquiry as Himachal mourns loss of its decorated officer

An Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot, Wing Commander Namansh Syal, was killed on Friday after a Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA Mk-1) crashed during a demonstration at the Dubai Airshow. The 37-year-old was executing a low-level aerobatic manoeuvre on the closing day of the exhibition when the aircraft suddenly went down.

 

In a statement, the IAF confirmed the accident, saying the pilot sustained fatal injuries. “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,” it said. This is the second crash involving the indigenous Tejas since its induction into service in 2016. 

 

Who was Wing Commander Namansh Syal?

Wing Commander Syal hailed from Kangra district in Himachal Pradesh. He is survived by his wife, also an IAF officer, their six-year-old daughter and his parents.

 

According to a Hindustan Times report, he attended Sainik School, Sujanpur Tira, and was commissioned into the IAF on December 24, 2009.

 

A relative, Ramesh Kumar, said his parents were at Sulur Air Force Station near Coimbatore at the time of the tragedy, while his wife was in Kolkata for a professional course. His father, Jagannath Syal, previously served in the Army Medical Corps and later retired as a school principal.

How did Himachal react to the news?

News of the pilot’s death sent shockwaves through his home state. Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu described him as a “brave, dutiful and courageous pilot” and offered condolences to the family.

 

Former chief minister Jairam Thakur called the incident “extremely heartbreaking and painful”.

दुबई एयर शो में हुए तेजस विमान हादसे में हिमाचल प्रदेश के कांगड़ा ज़िला के वीर सपूत नमन स्याल जी के निधन का समाचार अत्यंत दुःखद और हृदयविदारक है।  देश ने एक बहादुर, कर्तव्यनिष्ठ और साहसी पायलट खो दिया है।  शोकाकुल परिवारजनों के प्रति अपनी गहरी संवेदनाएँ प्रकट करता हूँ।  वीर सपूत… pic.twitter.com/lfX1yinf4Q

— Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu (@SukhuSukhvinder) November 21, 2025

What happened at the Dubai Airshow?

The crash occurred during a routine aerobatic display at the Dubai Airshow, one of the world’s largest aviation events, featuring participants from more than 150 countries.

 

Footage from the venue shows the Tejas suddenly pitching downward before bursting into flames, sending thick smoke across the airfield. Investigators are now working to establish the sequence of events that led to the disaster.

 

Friday’s crash comes months after another Tejas went down near Jaisalmer in March 2024 during a training sortie, from which the pilot had ejected safely.