Tejas fighter jet crash: Deeply saddened by loss of courageous IAF pilot during at Dubai Air Show, says HAL
In this combination of screenshots from a third-party video, an Indian Air Force fighter jet Tejas is seen dropping altitude during an air show at the Dubai Air Show and then crashing to the ground, engulfed by a fireball. According to authorities, the pilot died in the accident. | Photo Credit: Third Party via PTI
State-run aviation giant Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), the manufacturer of Tejas aircraft, said on Friday, November 21, 2025, that it was deeply saddened by the death of the “brave IAF pilot” during the air show at the Dubai Air Show.
The pilot was announced to be Wing Commander Namansh Syal.
He was killed on Friday after indigenous multi-role Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas hit a fireball during the air show at the Dubai Air Show.
The aircraft produced by HAL was involved in an accident for the second time in 20 months. The earlier accident occurred in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, in March last year, but the pilot ejected from the plane safely.
“HAL is deeply saddened by the loss of the brave IAF pilot during the air show at the Dubai Air Show. HAL expresses his sincerest condolences to the bereaved family. @IAF_MCC @SpokespersonMoD @DefProdnIndia,” HAL posted on X.
The crash on the grounds of a Dubai airport cast a tragic shadow over an otherwise mega spectacle on the final day of the event in the desert city, with images of the crash aired on TV channels showing the jet suddenly losing altitude after what appeared to be a low-altitude manoeuvre, then diving nose-first into the ground in a matter of seconds before being engulfed by a fireball.
Black smoke billowed over Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Center as horrified onlookers, including women and children seated in the grandstand area behind a fenced airstrip, watched in shock.
The project to build the Tejas aircraft finally began in 1984 after years of negotiations, and the jet was officially declared fit to fly in 2011.
The IAF testing team was involved in the Tejas project from conceptual stage to prototype testing. The first version of the aircraft was inducted into the IAF in 2016.
In February 2021, the Ministry of Defense signed a ₹48,000 crore deal with HAL for the purchase of 83 Tejas MK-1A jets for the IAF.
In November 2023, the ministry had given initial approval to procure an additional batch of 97 Tejas jets for the IAF.
It was published – 22 November 2025 09:52 IST
