NEW DELHI: The mortal remains of Wing Commander Namansh Syal, who lost his life in the Tejas fighter jet crash during the Dubai Air Show 2025, were brought to his native village of Patialkar in Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra district on Sunday.
Villagers, family members and officials gathered to pay emotional tributes as his last rites are set to be performed.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) confirmed the pilot’s demise after the aircraft crashed and burst into flames during a low-level aerobatic demonstration at Al Maktoum International Airport, Dubai on Friday.
Local residents and friends described Syal as a “gem” and the pride of their village and school.
Sandeep Kumar, a local, said, “"We are from the same village as Namansh, Patialkar. Everyone in our village is sad. He was like our younger brother. This should not have happened. We do not have words. We met him 3-4 months ago when he visited our village.”
Pankaj Chadha, who studied alongside Wing Commander Namansh Syal, recalled their school days and how he was a gem.
"I have also studied in the same school as Namansh, Sainik School Sujanpur Tira. We have lost one of our gems. He was the pride of our school. We will go to his native village, Patialkar. He made all of us very proud," Chadha said.
The mortal remains were flown from Dubai to Sulur Air Base in Coimbatore earlier in the day, where Coimbatore District Collector Pavankumar G. Giriyappanavar, Superintendent of Police Dr K Karthikeyan and IAF officials paid floral tributes. The Emirati Defence Forces also accorded Syal a ceremonial guard of honour in recognition of his bravery and service.
Who was Wing Commander Namansh Syal?
Wing Commander Namansh Syal, 37, hailed from Patialkar village in Nagrota Bagwan tehsil of Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh. He was posted at Sulur Air Force Station in Tamil Nadu and was attached to No 45 Squadron, the “Tejas Daggers” of the IAF.
Syal, an experienced fighter pilot, was a graduate of Sainik School Sujanpur Tira, Hamirpur and the National Defence Academy (NDA). He trained with the Hunter Squadron at the Air Force Academy and earned his wings with distinction.
Wing Commander Namansh Syal (ANI image)
His father, Jagannath Syal, is an ex-armyman who later became a teacher, while his wife, Afsaan, also serves as a Wing Commander at Sulur Air Base. The couple has a seven-year-old daughter.
Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu paid tribute, calling Syal a “courageous, dutiful, and valiant pilot”. He added that “the nation has lost a brave son of Kangra district.”
Defence minister Rajnath Singh expressing his grief wrote in a post on X, “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.”
Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan also offered condolences, affirming the armed forces’ solidarity with the family.
How the tragic mishap occurred?
The Tejas Mark-1 fighter jet was performing an eight-minute aerobatic demonstration when it could not recover from a low-altitude “negative G-turn,” plunging to the ground and erupting into flames in front of a large audience.
Visuals from the Dubai Air Show showed the jet crashing and sending thick black smoke into the sky. Emergency teams rushed to the site, but Wing Commander Syal could not eject in time and sustained fatal injuries.
This was the second crash involving the lightweight multi-role Tejas since its induction into the IAF a decade ago. The first crash, near Jaisalmer in March last year, saw the pilot safely eject. The IAF has ordered a court of inquiry to ascertain the cause of the crash, coordinating with Dubai aviation authorities and recovering the aircraft’s black box.
Veteran pilots highlight that such accidents can occur due to sudden loss of power, control malfunction or spatial disorientation during negative G maneuvers.
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