Tejas crash: Pilot killed belonged to Himachal Pradesh; leaders mourn loss

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Tejas crash live: Defence expert Shiwalee Deshpande on Friday said the country was mourning the loss of the Indian Air Force pilot who died after an IAF Tejas fighter jet crashed during the Dubai Air Show.

“The whole country is with the family, and such accidents should not happen. However, a court of inquiry has been ordered into it; let's wait to see the result. The country is deeply saddened by the loss of a very, very capable pilot. Let's wait for further investigations to see the real reason for this,” news agency ANI quoted her as saying in Nagpur.

Tejas crash live: Ramesh Kumar, a relative of Wing Commander Namansh Syal, said the family and the entire village were in shock over the loss. “He’s my brother-in-law... He was supposed to get a promotion. At 34, he was a squadron leader. He was a very humble man. The entire village is sad,” he said, reported ANI.

Joginder Nath Sayal, uncle of the deceased pilot, says, “I got a call from my brother around 3 pm, and he told me about the crash... He was my brother's son. He got married in 2014 and has a daughter.”

Tejas crash live: Visuals on Thursday showed sombre scenes from Wing Commander Namansh Syal’s native village, Patiyalkar, in Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra district, after he lost his life in the LCA Tejas crash in Dubai earlier in the day. Villagers gathered outside his family home as news of the tragedy reached the area.

Tejas crash live: The pilot who died in the crash hailed from Himachal Pradesh's Kangra district. The state's chief minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu shared the pilot's image on his X account, along with condolences over his death in the crash.

“The nation has lost a brave, dutiful, and courageous pilot. I express my deepest condolences to the bereaved family members. I pay heartfelt tribute to the indomitable bravery, dedication to duty, and commitment to national service of brave son Naman Syal Ji,” a part of Sukhu's tweet read.

Tejas crash live: Major General Vikrant Naik (Retd) on Friday expressed grief and condoled the demise of an Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot who tragically died during the Dubai Air Show.

He was present at the Dubai Air Show when this unfortunate incident happened.

Major General Vikrant Naik (Retd) said, “I was at the Dubai Air Show today when this unfortunate incident happened. I pay homage to the regrettable loss of our brother in arms, the pilot. As a proud Indian, I'm sure this is just a temporary setback for the mission Tejas.”

Tejas crash live: A Tejas fighter jet of the Indian Air Force crashed in a ball of fire on Friday during an aerial display at the Dubai Air Show killing the lone pilot, in the second accident involving the indigenous multi-role Light Combat Aircraft in less than two years.

The pilot was identified as Wing Commander Namansh Syal, who was in his mid-30s and hails from Himachal Pradesh, according to available accounts.

Tejas crash live: “HAL is deeply saddened by the loss of the courageous IAF pilot during the aerial display at the Dubai Air Show. HAL expresses its heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family,” Hindustan Aeronautics Limited said in a statement posted on X.

Tejas crash live: The pilot who died in the Tejas fighter jet crash in Dubai has been identified by the IAF as Wing Commander Namansh Syal. He hailed from Himachal Pradesh's Kangra district, chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said in a post on X.

Tejas crash live: Congress general secretary KC Venugopal on Friday expressed sadness over the loss of an Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot who died in the crash of a Tejas fighter jet during the Dubai Air Show.

In a post on X, the Congress leader wrote, "A life snatched away too soon. I join the nation in mourning the loss of our IAF pilot during the Dubai Air Show. He lost his life in service of his motherland and we extend our deepest condolences to the families of the martyred soul. May they find the strength to overcome this unbearable pain."

Tejas crash live: Jignesh Variya, 46, who was attending the show with his family, told Reuters the fighter jet had been flying for no more than eight or nine minutes and completed two to three laps when it went into a nose-dive, before flattening out but continuing to lose altitude and crashing.

"I could see three different fireballs when it collided with the ground," he said. "Everybody in the crowd stood up there on their feet, and then maybe in around 30 seconds, the emergency vehicles rushed over to the location at the crash site."

Tejas crash live: Chief of defence staff Gen Anil Chauhan said the armed forces stand firmly with the bereaved family in this time of grief.

"General Anil Chauhan, CDS and all ranks of Indian Armed Forces deeply regret the incident in which an IAF Tejas aircraft met with an accident during an aerial display at Dubai Air Show, today. The pilot sustained fatal injuries in the accident. We deeply regret the loss of life and stand firmly with the bereaved family in this time of grief," the Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS) said in a post on X.

Tejas crash live: Union defence minister Rajnath Singh said in a statement, “Deeply anguished at the loss of a brave and courageous IAF pilot during an aerial display in Dubai Air Show. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family. The nation stands firmly with the family in this tragic hour.”

Tejas crash live: Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi said, "We have lost a courageous son of India, an Indian Air Force pilot, in the Tejas crash at the Dubai Air Show."

"My prayers and deepest condolences to his family. The nation stands with them in this hour of sorrow, honouring his supreme sacrifice," the MP from Kerala's Wayanad added.

Tejas crash live: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi posted on X: "Deeply saddened by the loss of our brave IAF pilot in the Tejas crash at the Dubai Air Show.

My heartfelt condolences to his family. The nation stands with them, honouring his courage and service."

Tejas crash live: Footage from the site showed black smoke rising behind a fenced airstrip. Dubai's government shared a photograph of firefighting teams dousing smouldering wreckage.

The fighter had been flying at a low altitude at around 2:15 p.m. (1015 GMT) before it went down, according to a witness.

Tejas crash live: The Dubai Media Office on Friday said that emergency teams and firefighters reached the IAF Tejas crash site and were managing the situation.

In a post on X, the Dubai Media Office said, "A Tejas fighter aircraft from India participating in today's flying display at the Dubai Airshow has crashed, resulting in the tragic death of the pilot. Firefighting and emergency teams responded rapidly to the incident and are currently managing the situation on-site."

Tejas crash live: “A Tejas fighter aircraft from India participating in today’s flying display at the Dubai Airshow has crashed, resulting in the tragic death of the pilot. Firefighting and emergency teams responded rapidly to the incident and are currently managing the situation on-site,” a statement from the ministry of defence of the UAE read.

Tejas crash live: Tejas is India’s indigenous fighter aircraft, built by state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.

In September, India’s Defense Ministry signed a contract with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, or HAL, to procure 97 Tejas jets for the air force. Deliveries are expected to begin in 2027.

The Indian government also signed a deal with HAL in 2021 for 83 Tejas aircraft.

Tejas crash live: Here's the full statement of the Indian Air Force (IAF) on the Tejas fighter jet crash in Dubai:

"An IAF Tejas aircraft met with an accident during an aerial display at 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.

A court of inquiry is being constituted, to ascertain the cause of the accident."

Tejas crash live: A few hours after the crash involving Tejas fighter jet, aerial shows have resumed at the Dubai Air Show. Khaleej Times reported that a squad of Russian Sukhoi Su-57 is performing currently.

Tejas crash live: The aerial displays that were to follow at the Dubai Air Show after the Tejas show have been cancelled following the crash, Khaleej Times reported. Notably, the outdoor exhibition space has been closed off, and visitors have been moved away from the viewing area.

Tejas crash live: The fighter was flying at a low altitude at around 2:15 p.m. (1015 GMT) before coming down in a ball of fire, according to a witness. Footage from the site showed black smoke rising behind a fenced airstrip.

"A court of inquiry is being constituted, to ascertain the cause of the accident," the IAF said in a statement.

Tejas crash live: "A Tejas fighter aircraft from India participating in today's flying display at the Dubai Airshow has crashed, resulting in the tragic death of the pilot," Dubai's state-run media office posted on X.

Videos circulating on social media showed the aircraft going down at speed and bursting into a ball of flames on impact as onlookers watched in shock.

Tejas crash live: The Indian Air Force (IAF) said in a statement that a court of inquiry is being ordered into the incident to find out the cause of the crash. Notably, the pilot flying the Tejas fighter jet was confirmed dead on Friday, IAF said.