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What was meant to be a spectacular display of manoeuvres by the India-produced Tejas fighter jet at the Dubai Airshow, ended in a tragic crash on Friday afternoon. The Indian Air Force pilot could not eject in time, and perished as the aircraft burst into flames. Spectators at the airshow watched in shock.

The aerial display was supposed to last eight minutes, but ended abruptly after the jet nosedived, killing the pilot.

While details of his identity were not immediately revealed, the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, later stated on X that the pilot was Namansh Syal, hailing from Kangra district of the north Indian state.

In a post written in Hindi, the minister said, "The news of the demise of Himachal Pradesh's Kangra district's brave son Naman Syal in the Tejas aircraft accident at the Dubai Air Show is extremely heartbreaking and soul-wrenching. The nation has lost a brave, dutiful, and courageous pilot. I express my deepest condolences to the bereaved family members."

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The 34-year-old Wing Commander of the Indian Air Force was a resident of Patialkadh in Nagrota Bagwan tehsil. According to local media in Himachal Pradesh, his wife also works with the IAF as a senior officer.

His father, Jagarnath Syal, is a retired IAF officer who later worked with the education department and was serving at the Air Force Station in Hyderabad.

Syal was a highly skilled display pilot from No. 45 Squadron, the Flying Daggers, from Sulur Air Base. He is said to have mesmerised audiences at Aero India and multiple national airshows with his exceptional flying skills.

He was flying the HAL Tejas, India's indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), which has a foreign engine. This crash marks the second known Tejas accident, but the first fatal one at an international airshow.

A video of the pilot from the Dubai Airshow is being shared widely, as India mourns the loss of a braveheart.

The Indian Air Force, in a post on X, expressed deep regret over the pilot's death, and said that a court of inquiry is being constituted, to ascertain the cause of the accident.

Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh too offered his condolences to the bereaved family.

India-run aerospace behemoth Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), the manufacturer of Tejas aircraft, said it was deeply saddened by the loss of life of the "courageous IAF pilot" during the aerial display at the Dubai Air Show.

The Indian Air Force participated in the Dubai Airshow with the Suryakiran Aerobatic Team and LCA Tejas. India has been regularly taking part in the airshow for many decades, showcasing its latest innovation and technologies.

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