Dubai Air Show: A Dubai Air Show attendee captured the tragic moment a Tejas fighter jet crashed during a flying demonstration, erupting into flames and sending thick black smoke skyward. The crowd at Al Maktoum International Airport, gathered for the air show, jumped from their seats to witness and record the incident on mobile phones.
Eyewitness Account At Tejas Fighter Jet Crash at Dubai Air Show
Abu Bakr, a real estate advisor attending the Dubai Air Show due to his aviation interest, captured the Tejas aircraft’s final moments before impact. His video shows the single-seat Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) executing a negative G turn before slamming into the ground.
“The jet started to go lower and lower. We thought the pilot would pull up the jet, but it crashed on the spot,” Bakr recalled.
The plane crashed around 2:10 PM local time, according to eyewitnesses and media-sourced videos. “Onlookers were left in shock, it was unbelievable,” Bakr said.
Technical Analysis of Crash
The aircraft transitioned from a negative G maneuver into a roll—an aerobatic display maneuver. However, it was flying at very low altitude during this stage, and the roll wasn’t a snap or quick roll that could have enabled horizontal flight entry.
The aircraft lost altitude during the maneuver. By the time wings leveled after completing the barrel roll, the vertical descent speed was too high, causing the aircraft to smash into the ground.
What is Negative G Maneuver
Negative G in aviation refers to forces acting on aircraft and contents opposite to normal gravity, typically experienced during aerobatic maneuvers, sudden descent, or severe turbulence. If improperly managed, negative G can cause disorientation or loss of consciousness due to blood pooling in the head. Pilots undergo specific training to manage and mitigate negative G force effects.
Pilot Identified
Wing Commander Namansh Syal, the 34-year-old Indian Air Force pilot, died in the crash. A native of Patiyalkar village in Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh, he is survived by his wife—also an IAF officer—their six-year-old daughter, and his parents.
Syal completed schooling at Sainik School, Sujanpur Tira, in Hamirpur district, according to PTI. His father, Jagarnath Syal, served in the Indian Army before working as an education department principal, ANI reported.
Pictures and videos show the fighter jet engulfed in flames, then covered in thick black smoke, with wreckage showing charred, mangled remains.
