- By Aditya Jha
- Sat, 22 Nov 2025 10:32 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Tejas Crash: In a tragic incident, a Tejas Jet crashed during a demonstration at the Dubai Airshow on Friday, leading to the demise of the Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot Wing Commander Namansh Syal. While expressing his grief over the accident, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh stated that India lost a "brave and courageous pilot". The IAF has ordered a detailed inquiry for the exact reason behind the crash and has recovered the "black box" of the jet. Wing Commander Syal belonged to Himachal Pradesh's Kangra district and was posted at Tamil Nadu's Sulur IAF station. Syal's wife is also a retired wing commander, and the couple has a seven-year-old daughter.
Why Did The Tejas Crash?
The experts suggest that the pilot was apparently executing an operation known as a barrel roll, in which the pilot turns over the aircraft and then backs up again. In this maneuver, the aircraft completes a full axial rotation, and the pilot also gets in the upside-down position for a few seconds before flipping. They further stated that the Tejas was initially pulled up and was supposed to execute the rotation; however, it lost balance, leading to the tragedy.
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While the experts pointed out that an engine flameout could be one of the reasons behind the tragedy, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has not revealed the exact reasons behind the tragedy yet. Tejas is India's first home-manufactured jet and has been in service for the past two decades.
While reacting to the tragedy, Wing Commander Namansh Syal's native villagers expressed grief and informed that his mortal remains will reach Chennai by Saturday evening. "His mortal remains will reach Chennai by evening. The last rites will be held here in Patiyalkar village," one of the villagers was quoted as saying by ANI.