A United States Air Force F-16 demonstration team pilot criticised organisers of the Dubai Air Show for continuing with scheduled flying displays shortly after an Indian Air Force Tejas fighter jet crashed,
killing its pilot, Wing Commander Namansh Syal.Capt. Taylor Hiester posted his reaction on Instagram under his handle @femahiester saying that his team cancelled their final performance out of respect for the Indian pilot. In a detailed note, he described the moments following the accident and his discomfort with how the event proceeded.However, Times Now could not independently verify the authenticity of the post.“Before I share a personal note, I want to say that I'm grateful to everyone that has reached out asking about the team following the tragic accident at the Dubai airshow. We were not involved and we're currently on our way home to the United States,” Hiester wrote."Yesterday, on the final day of the Dubai Airshow, Indian Air Force Wing Commander Namansh Syal was killed performing a fighter jet acrobatic demo in the Tejas. Our team was preparing our own airplane to fly our own display,” he added.Hiester said the team decided not to fly after learning the show would continue as planned. “Though the show made the shocking decision to continue with the flying schedule, our team along with a few others made the decision to cancel our final performance out of respect to the pilot, his colleagues and family.”
The Tejas crashed around 2:10 p.m. local time on Friday during an eight-minute aerobatic demonstration at Al Maktoum International Airport. Video from the scene showed the fighter jet dropping height after a low-altitude maneuver before plunging into the ground and erupting in flames. Wing Commander Syal, in his mid-30s, died on impact.The IAF confirmed the fatal crash in a statement and said a Court of Inquiry has been ordered.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzuhV3ac4AU
Hiester described watching the aftermath from a distance, recalling the “Indian maintenance crew standing on the ramp next to an empty parking spot, aircraft ladder laid on the ground, the pilot's belongings still in his rental car.” He said he walked through the show site hours later expecting the venue to have shut down.“It wasn't,” he wrote. “The announcer was still enthusiastic, the crowd still watched the next several routines with excitement and when the show was over, it ended with ‘Congratulations to all of our sponsors, performers and we'll see you in 2027.’”He said the contrast was unsettling. “It was uncomfortable for me for a lot of reasons,” he noted, adding that the moment served as a reminder of the fragility of life and the importance of the people closest to him.“The people you invest in, the people that you love and the people that love you back… will be the only way you live past your own individual end,” he wrote.Hiester ended his note by reflecting on the phrase often heard in aviation and entertainment circles. “‘The show must go on’ is what they always say. And they're right. But just remember someone will say that after you're gone too. Thanks.”According to an AP report, the air show resumed flight demonstrations about an hour and a half after the crash, with the Russian Knights flying overhead as emergency crews still worked the crash site. As sirens wailed, Police and emergency personnel could be seen at the crash site afterward, with firefighting foam sprayed across the road. An SUV bearing diplomatic plates flying the Indian flag also could be seen, it said.“Firefighting and emergency teams responded rapidly to the incident and are currently managing the situation on-site,” the Dubai Media Office, which responds to crises in the sheikhdom, said on X.
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