New footage from the Dubai Air Show 2025 has surfaced, providing a chilling account of Wing Commander Namansh Syal’s final moments before his Tejas fighter jet crashed. The video vividly illustrates the sequence of events as the aircraft experienced a critical loss of control during a complex, low-altitude maneuver. Wing Commander Syal, 37, from Himachal Pradesh, bravely ejected just moments before impact. However, the jet’s proximity to the ground rendered his parachute ineffective, leading to the devastating crash. The aircraft instantly erupted in flames upon hitting the runway.
The clip, shared widely across aviation enthusiast platforms, shows the Tejas executing a rapid barrel turn. A sharp negative-G force appears to have destabilized the aircraft unexpectedly, sending it into a nosedive. The video clearly shows what seems to be a drogue chute deploying around the 50-second mark, confirming Syal’s desperate attempt to eject. Experts indicate that the fighter jet was only a few meters above the ground at this critical juncture, making parachute deployment impossible. It is believed Syal, a skilled pilot, initially tried to salvage the situation, relying on the Tejas’s generally excellent safety record, before concluding that ejection was his only recourse.
This tragic event is the first fatality associated with the Tejas aircraft in its ten years of operational history. A prior incident in March 2024 near Jaisalmer had a successful pilot escape. Wing Commander Syal, hailed from Kangra, Himachal Pradesh. He leaves behind his wife, also a former wing commander, and a young daughter. He was reportedly seen in good spirits shortly before the fatal flight. His body was transported to Gaggal Airport, with plans for a state and military funeral in Kangra, honoring his service and sacrifice, which has cast a pall of sorrow over his home state and the entire country.