A new video of the moment a Tejas fighter jet crashed at the Dubai Airshow on November 21, killing its pilot, Wing Commander Namansh Syal, has surfaced on social media.
Firefighters work at the site of a crash involving an Indian-made HAL Tejas fighter jet at the Dubai Air Show, United Arab Emirates, November 21, 2025, (Reuters)
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The two-minute and three-second-long video shows the pilot manoeuvring the aircraft several times before it crashed and erupted into a fireball during its descent.
The incident took place when the pilot was performing a low-level aerobatic manoeuvre on the final day of the event, when the ill-fated fighter jet went down.
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Indian Air Force pilot, Wing Commander Namansh Syal, who was operating the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA Mk-1) at Dubai Airshow, died in the crash.
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Indian Air Force pilot, Wing Commander Namansh Syal, who was operating the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA Mk-1) at Dubai Airshow, died in the crash.
His last rites were performed on Sunday at his native village, Patialkar, in Kangra, Himachal Pradesh. Wing Commander Namansh Syal survived with his wife, who is also an IAF officer, their six-year-old daughter, and his parents.
"An IAF Tejas aircraft met with an accident during an aerial display at the 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,” the Indian Air Force said in a statement.
"A court of inquiry is being constituted to ascertain the cause of the accident," it added.
The IAF remembered Namansh Syal as a dedicated fighter pilot, a thorough professional, who served the nation with unwavering commitment, exceptional skill and an unyielding sense of duty.
“His dignified persona earned him immense respect through a life devoted to service, and was visible in the send-off attended by UAE Officials, colleagues, friends, and the officials of the Indian Embassy,” the IAF said.
The crash of a Tejas at the Dubai Air Show was the second accident involving the indigenous multi-role LCA in less than two years.
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