NEW DELHI: Indians are mourning the pilot of an Indian combat plane who was killed when the aircraft crashed at the Dubai Airshow.
The pilot, whom local media identified as 34-year-old Wing Commander Namansh Syal, was flying an Indian-made Tejas aircraft during a demonstration for a crowd of spectators at Dubai World Central when it crashed on Friday afternoon.
The plane had reportedly flown across the display site several times before it dived directly towards the ground. Multiple videos of the crash taken by spectators have since been circulated widely on social media.
“The pilot sustained fatal injuries in the accident. (The Indian Air Force) deeply regrets the loss of life and stands firmly with the bereaved family in this time of grief. A court of inquiry is being constituted to ascertain the cause of the accident,” the IAF said in a statement.
Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said he was “deeply anguished” by Syal’s death, calling him a “brave and courageous” pilot.
