A major accident occurred during the Dubai Airshow on 21 November, when an Indian Air Force (IAF) Tejas fighter jet crashed while performing an aerobatic display. The pilot lost his life in this tragic incident.
SNPNEWS.IN News (Gurmail Kamboj): A major accident occurred on the final day of the Dubai Airshow 2025 (November 21, 2025), when the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) indigenous Tejas (HAL Tejas) fighter jet crashed during an aerobatic display.
The incident took place approximately 1.6 kilometers from Al Maktoum International Airport, where thousands of spectators, including children and families, were watching the performance. It happened at 2:10 PM local time (10:10 GMT). The jet attempted a low-level roll (low roll) and a negative-G maneuver (negative-G maneuver), but at low altitude, it lost control, went into a nose-dive, and collided with the ground, after which the aircraft exploded, turning the area into a cloud of black smoke.
During the accident, the pilot did not get a chance to eject. As a result, the IAF has confirmed the death of Wing Commander Namansh Syal (Wing Commander Namansh Syal), a resident of Nagrota Nagar in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh. He had been serving in the Tejas squadron since 2016.
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan paid tribute to the pilot and expressed condolences to the family. “The IAF is constituting a Court of Inquiry (Court of Inquiry) to ascertain the cause of the accident.” Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu also expressed grief.
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The Tejas, a 4.5-generation lightweight fighter jet built by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), is considered a symbol of the modernization of the Indian Air Force. This is the second accident associated with it. The first accident occurred in March 2024 near Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, where the pilot survived.
On November 17, 2025, during the initial days of the airshow, some photos/videos leaked showing a liquid leaking from under the Tejas jet. Using the viral images, attempts were made to target the Indian defense industry, but officials dismissed it as “a hoax of fake news.”
On November 20, 2025, the PIB clarified that the substance shown in the video was not an ‘oil leak,’ but rather routine drainage of condensed water (water formed from breath). It comes from the aircraft’s Environmental Control System (ECS) and On-Board Oxygen Generating System (OBOGS). In humid weather like Dubai’s, this is a routine procedure that happens with every aircraft (such as JF-17 or F-35 as well).