A 34-year-old Wing Commander Namansh Syal was martyred when an Indian Air Force fighter jet Tejas crashed at Dubai Air Show 2025 on Friday evening, November 21. The village located in Himachal Pradesh's Patialakad area in Nagrota Bagwan was left in mourning after hearing the news. The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) developed aircraft burst into flames during a practice and demonstration flight at the event in the UAE.
Visuals shared on social sites show the Tejas fighter jet losing balance and trembling in the air several times before losing altitude and crashing into the ground, resulting in massive fire. Thick smoke billowed from the crash site, leaving spectators at the Dubai Airshow stunned.
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Who Was Namansh Syal?
Wing Commander Syal, a resident of Nagrota Bagwan, was known for his discipline and exceptional service record. He was a Sainik School student in Sujanpur Tira, in Hamirpur district. He was survived by his parents, his wife, who is also an Indian Air Force officer and their 6-year-old daughter.
Jagan Nath, father of Syal, is a retired Indian Army officer who later served as a principal in the Himachal Pradesh Education Department, and his mother, Bina Devi, was in Hyderabad to meet their son and daughter-in-law at the time of the tragedy. The Syal family home had been locked for several days.