The poignant final video of Wing Commander Naman Syal, the pilot of the ill-fated Tejas fighter jet that crashed at the Dubai Air Show, has emerged, casting a shadow of sorrow over the nation. The footage captures Syal in a moment of camaraderie, posing for a photograph with senior Indian officials including Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth, Ambassador to the UAE Deepak Mittal, and Additional Secretary Aseem Mahajan. This seemingly ordinary moment is now a devastating reminder of his last hours before the tragic accident. The indigenous Tejas aircraft crashed during an aerial demonstration at Al Maktoum International Airport, during the Dubai Air Show. Wing Commander Syal, a highly skilled pilot from the renowned ‘Flying Daggers’ of the Indian Air Force, was executing aerobatic maneuvers when the disaster struck. Witnesses described the terrifying sight of the jet losing altitude rapidly before it crashed and exploded. The 34-year-old pilot tragically lost his life. This marks the first fatal incident involving a Tejas jet at an international air show, following a training exercise crash where the pilot ejected safely. A court of inquiry has been ordered by the Air Force to investigate the cause of this devastating event. The country is mourning the loss of a brave soldier, with Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh offering their condolences. His family, including his wife, six-year-old daughter, and parents, are in deep mourning. His father learned of the tragedy while looking for videos of his son’s performance, a moment of profound shock. Wing Commander Syal’s body is expected to be repatriated to India for a full military funeral with honors, a final salute to a national hero.
