An unprecedented video has emerged from the 2025 Dubai Air Show, detailing the final seconds of Wing Commander Namansh Syal’s life as his Tejas fighter jet suffered a catastrophic failure during a low-altitude maneuver. The footage captures the moment Syal, 37, initiated his ejection sequence just as the aircraft was about to impact the ground. The extreme proximity to the runway meant his parachute never had a chance to open, resulting in the jet’s violent crash and subsequent fiery explosion. Syal, from Himachal Pradesh, was a distinguished officer.
The newly released clip, documented by an aviation video channel, offers an unobstructed view of the disaster. It shows the Tejas executing a complex barrel roll close to the ground. A sudden loss of control, possibly triggered by negative-G forces, sent the aircraft spiraling downwards. Between the 49th and 52nd second of the video, a small parachute appears to be deployed, confirming Syal’s immediate decision to bail out. Aviation analysts believe Syal’s actions suggest he first attempted to correct the aircraft’s trajectory, perhaps trusting in the Tejas’s safety credentials, before resorting to ejection at the eleventh hour. Unfortunately, the jet was too close to the ground for the ejection system to function successfully.
This incident marks a grim milestone as the first fatal accident involving the Tejas fighter in its ten-year service history. A previous Tejas crash near Jaisalmer in March 2024 did not result in fatalities. Wing Commander Syal, a resident of Nagrota Bagwan in Kangra, was a husband and father. His family includes his wife, a retired wing commander, and their daughter. He was seen interacting with officials just hours before the flight. His body has been returned to his home state, with state and military honors planned for his funeral in Kangra, highlighting the immense loss felt by Himachal Pradesh and the nation.