Who was Wing Commander Namansh Syal? Brave IAF pilot who died in Tejas plane crash at Dubai Air Show

Wing Commander Namansh Syal was the pilot of the ill-fated Tejas that crashed during the Dubai Air Show. (Image: X)

Wing Commander Namnash Syal was the Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot who lost his life in the Tejas fighter jet crash during a demonstration at the Dubai Air Show on Friday.

He was a resident of Kangra district in Himachal Pradesh.

Earlier, the IAF said that the Tejas aircraft met with an accident during an aerial display at the Dubai Air Show. Additionally, it was informed that the pilot sustained fatal injuries in the accident.

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, in a post on the social media platform X, said that the news of the tragic Tejas aircraft accident has led to the untimely demise of the brave son of Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh.

Who was Wing Commander Namansh Syal?

34-year-old Wing Commander Namansh Syal was a resident of Nagrota Bagwan in Kangra. He was the son of Jagarnath Syal.

He 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.

What happened during Tejas crash in Dubai?

The indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas, built by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), crashed around 2.10 pm local time (3:40 pm IST) during an eight-minute aerial display at Al Maktoum International Airport.

A thick column of black smoke rose over the airfield as thousands of spectators, including families with children, watched in disbelief.