KANGRA, HIMACHAL PRADESH: Grief and solemn pride enveloped the ancestral village of Patialkar on Sunday as Wing Commander Afshan paid her final, heartbreaking respects to her husband, Wing Commander Namansh Syal, the Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot who tragically lost his life when his Tejas fighter jet crashed during an aerobatic display at the Dubai Air Show on Friday. Wing Commander Afshan, herself an IAF officer, stood before the tricolour-draped coffin and delivered a poignant salute, a final, tearful farewell that spoke volumes of a shared life of courage and service.
The fatal accident occurred on November 21, 2025, when the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mark-1, flown by Wing Commander Syal, plummeted to the ground and erupted in flames during a low-altitude demonstration at the Dubai Air Show. The IAF confirmed the pilot sustained fatal injuries, regretting the loss of the dedicated officer. A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident, which reportedly occurred after the aircraft failed to recover from a complex manoeuvre.
The mortal remains of the 34-year-old fighter pilot were brought back to his native village in Himachal Pradesh on Sunday, where thousands of residents, family members, and military officials gathered to bid farewell.
Wing Commander Namansh Syal was laid to rest with full military honours, including a solemn gun salute and a wreath-laying ceremony. He is survived by his wife, Wing Commander Afshan, their six-year-old daughter Aarya, and his parents.
