NEW DELHI: Indians are mourning the pilot of an Indian combat plane who was killed when the aircraft crashed at the Dubai Airshow.
The pilot, whom local media identified as 34-year-old Wing Commander Namansh Syal, was flying an Indian-made Tejas aircraft during a demonstration for a crowd of spectators at Dubai World Central when it crashed on Friday afternoon.
The plane had reportedly flown across the display site several times before it dived directly towards the ground. Multiple videos of the crash taken by spectators have since been circulated widely on social media.
“The pilot sustained fatal injuries in the accident. (The Indian Air Force) deeply regrets the loss of life and stands firmly with the bereaved family in this time of grief. A court of inquiry is being constituted to ascertain the cause of the accident,” the IAF said in a statement.
Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said he was “deeply anguished” by Syal’s death, calling him a “brave and courageous” pilot.
“My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family. The nation stands firmly with the family in this tragic hour,” he said on X.
Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, chief minister of the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, where Syal is from, also took to social media to write a tribute, calling it an “extremely heartbreaking” incident.
“The nation has lost a brave, dutiful and courageous pilot,” he said. “I pay heartfelt tribute to the indomitable bravery, dedication to duty and commitment to national service of brave son Namansh Syal.”
On Saturday, headlines across major Indian outlets were filled with stories of Syal and his journey to become a fighter pilot, while many other Indians took to social media to express their grief.
“Deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Wing Commander Namansh Syal, who gave his life while showcasing the pride of our Indian Air Force, the Tejas. A brave son of India taken far too soon,” Indian actor Kamal Haasan wrote on X.
The incident has also cast a spotlight on Tejas, India’s indigenous fighter aircraft built by state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.
Friday’s crash is the second-known case involving a Tejas jet, after an incident was reported during an exercise in the western Indian state of Rajasthan last year, with the pilot ejecting safely in that instance.
It took place a day after India’s Press Information Bureau rejected some social media claims alleging that a Tejas aircraft had experienced an oil leak while on display at the air show.
In a statement on X, the PIB called the posts “false” and said they were attempts to undermine the “fighter's proven technical reliability with baseless propaganda.”
It was not immediately clear whether the aircraft in question was the one that crashed on Friday.
Mohon Guruswamy, a policy analyst specializing in economic and security issues, called it “an unfortunate accident,” adding that fighter jets in air shows are “very prone” to crashes.
“The demonstration program has all kinds of daring tricks. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the aircraft … (But) it’s a loss of image for India. It is a blow that has to be borne,” he told Arab News.
“Even in the best of fighter planes, accidents keep happening … All test pilots are very good and brilliant. (Syal) was a test pilot, a high-quality test pilot, and it’s a loss … a valuable experience of the aircraft was lost.”
The incident will “undermine India’s self-reliance narrative,” said defense expert Ranjit Kumar, as Tejas manufacturer HAL has been eyeing various export prospects, including in Southeast Asia.
“Since the crash happened during an international air show in Dubai, it will grab international attention and cast a shadow on the combat performance of the aircraft,” he told Arab News. “Rival nations will find (grounds) to highlight its operational weaknesses.”
