New Videos Show Tejas Jet Plunging Before Fireball Crash: Pilot From Himachal Pradesh Identified
New videos and photos from the Dubai Air Show have revealed the final seconds of the tragic Tejas fighter jet crash. The videos capture the aircraft descending sharply before smashing into the ground and erupting into a massive fireball.
One of the clearest clips, shot by Abu Bakr, a visitor at the show, shows the single-seat LCA Tejas executing a negative-G turn followed by a roll—an aerobatic manoeuvre that left the jet flying at an extremely low altitude.
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The aircraft appears unable to regain height, hitting the ground with severe impact before bursting into flames. Post-crash images show charred debris scattered across the tarmac.
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Hours after the videos surfaced, the Indian Air Force confirmed that the pilot who lost his life in the crash was Wing Commander Namansh Syal, a 34-year-old officer from Patiyalkar village in Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra district. He is survived by his wife—also an IAF officer—their six-year-old daughter, and his parents.
Tributes poured in through the evening. Himachal chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said the state had “lost a brave son.” Defence minister Rajnath Singh called the pilot “courageous and dedicated.”
दुबई एयर शो में हुए तेजस विमान हादसे में हिमाचल प्रदेश के कांगड़ा ज़िला के वीर सपूत नमन स्याल जी के निधन का समाचार अत्यंत दुःखद और हृदयविदारक है।
देश ने एक बहादुर, कर्तव्यनिष्ठ और साहसी पायलट खो दिया है।
शोकाकुल परिवारजनों के प्रति अपनी गहरी संवेदनाएँ प्रकट करता हूँ।
वीर सपूत… pic.twitter.com/lfX1yinf4Q
— Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu (@SukhuSukhvinder) November 21, 2025
Leaders across parties, including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, extended condolences to the family.
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The crash occurred at 2:10 pm local time during a scheduled demonstration flight. The IAF said it “deeply regrets the loss of life” and has ordered a court of inquiry to determine what caused the aircraft to lose altitude after the high-risk manoeuvre. Dubai authorities and the UAE Ministry of Defence also confirmed that emergency teams rushed to the spot within minutes.
This marks just the second crash involving a Tejas fighter jet, the first being in Rajasthan in March 2024 during a tri-services exercise. The Dubai Air Show halted all further aerial displays for the day, and parts of the venue were temporarily evacuated as investigations began.
