Thousands of mourners gathered in Patialkar village on Sunday to bid a tearful farewell to Wing Commander Namansh Syal, who lost his life in the Tejas jet crash at the Dubai Air Show. As the final rites were performed with full military honours, his father Jagan Nath Syal said his son’s death was not just a personal tragedy but a blow to the nation.
“The country has lost a promising pilot. This is not just my loss, it is the nation’s loss,” he said, recalling how few people receive the honour of serving India the way his son did. Jagan Nath, a former Army man who later retired as a school principal, said Namansh had always been exceptional. “He excelled in everything he did. He never disappointed us,” he added, remembering their last conversation
in which he had asked his son for photographs, only for Namansh to reply with a smile that they could be seen on YouTube.
This is Wg Cdr Namansh Syal’s father.
The quiet love, unassuming dignity of the families of service personnel will never cease to numb me. To them, remember, it wasn’t just a soldier, but a child.
They are a different kind. And we owe them answers. 💔 pic.twitter.com/WofmLmCJPM
— Indra (@INDRAJE09280505) November 23, 2025
After the crash, Wing Commander Syal’s mortal remains were flown first to Sulur Air Force Base in Tamil Nadu and then brought to his ancestral village, where an entire community turned out to grieve. His colleagues remembered him as a brilliant flyer with a calm demeanour, while those who trained with him in the National Defence Academy said he was among the best earning the prestigious Sword of Honour. He had flown the MiG-21 for nearly a decade.
Syal, who hailed from Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra district, died on November 21 when his Tejas Light Combat Aircraft crashed during a display in Dubai. He is survived by his wife an Indian Air Force officer their six-year-old daughter, and his parents.
Paying tribute, the Indian Air Force hailed him as “a dedicated fighter pilot and thorough professional,” honouring his “unwavering commitment, exceptional skill, and unyielding sense of duty.”
