Tragic loss at Dubai Air Show: Meet Wing Commander Namansh Syal, the heroic IAF pilot who died in Tejas crash

The jet- developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), crashed during the Dubai airshow at around 2:10 pm.

The jet crashed sending a thick plume of black smoke into the sky as shocked spectators looked on at Al Maktoum International Airport.

The IAF said a Court of Inquiry has been ordered to determine the cause of the accident.

This marks the second crash involving a Tejas fighter in less than two years.

In March 2024, an LCA Tejas crashed in Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer — the first such incident since the aircraft’s maiden test flight in 2001. The pilot had ejected safely in that case.

Earlier this year, on September 25, 2025, India’s Ministry of Defence signed a contract with HAL to procure 97 LCA Mk-1A aircraft — comprising 68 single-seat fighters and 29 twin-seaters — along with associated equipment for the IAF, at a cost of over ₹62,370 crore (excluding taxes). Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2027–28 and will span six years.

Who was Namansh Syal?

He was the pilot of a Tejas light combat aircraft that crashed during an aerial display at the Dubai Air Show 2025.

He was from Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh.

He completed his schooling at Sainik School, Sujanpur Tira.

He was commissioned into the IAF on 24 December 2009.

He is survived by his wife, who is also an IAF officer, a young daughter, and his parents.

His father, Jagan Nath Syal, served in the Indian Army and later worked in education.

After the crash, the IAF announced that a court of inquiry had been initiated to determine the cause.