Tejas Crash: Who Was Wing Commander Namansh Syal? The IAF Pilot Killed In Dubai Air Show Crash

Wing Commander Namansh Syal, a Indian Air Force Officer, died when a Tajas Aircraft crashed during air demonstration at Dubai Air Show on Friday. He was survived by his wife, also an IAF, and their six-year-old daughter.

The aircraft was a single-seated light combat aircraft, which Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. developed. It crashed at around 2:10 p.m. local time NDTV reported citing sources.

So far, as the footages indicate, the pilot failed to recover from a negative G-manoeuvre at low altitude, a defining feature of the Tejas in aerial demonstration. Moments before the impact, the Tejas appeared with its wing level and by then the vertical speed of the aircraft was too great and the aircraft made impact with the ground, NDTV reported.

The cause of the death is still uncertain.

Syal was 34 years old; he is from Patiyalkar village in the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh. He did schooling at Sainik School, Sujanpur Tira in Hamirpur district, PTI reported.

Syal was a squadron leader and was due for a promotion, according to news reports.

His father was Jagarnath Syal who also served in the Indian Army. He served in the Indian Army's medical corps. Later, he worked as a principal in the education department and retired as a principal, according to news agency ANI.

His parents are currently at the Sulur Air Force Station, near Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, a relative told as cited by ANI.

Meanwhile, his wife is in Kolkata for a course.

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu expressed condolences and grief for Syal's death. "The nation has a lot a brave, dutiful, and courageous pilot. I expressed my deepest condolences to the bereaved family members," he said in a post on X.

Singh also called the death 'heartbreaking and heart-rending".