KANGRA, HIMACHAL PRADESH – Wing Commander Namansh Syal, the Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot who tragically lost his life when his Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) crashed during an aerial display at the Dubai Airshow, was cremated with full military honours at his ancestral village of Patiyalkar in Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh, on Sunday.

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Hundreds of villagers, friends, political leaders, and senior defence officials gathered to pay their last respects to the brave officer who was remembered as a proud son of the soil.

A Heartbreaking Farewell

 

The mortal remains of Wing Commander Syal arrived earlier in the day and were received with full military dignity at the Air Force Station in Sulur, Tamil Nadu (where he was previously posted), before being flown to Gaggal airport in Himachal Pradesh.

The funeral procession, a sombre column led by an Army truck decked with flowers, was met with emotional scenes. Hundreds lined the route to the village, chanting patriotic slogans and bidding a tearful farewell to the fallen hero.

• Final Salute: In one of the most poignant moments, Wing Commander Syal’s wife, Wing Commander Afshan Syal (who is also an IAF officer), offered a final, tearful salute to her husband. Their young, six-year-old daughter was also present, clinging to her mother, in a devastating display of loss.

• The Cremation: The pyre was lit by a cousin of the Wing Commander, in the presence of his heartbroken parents, who had received the tragic news while scrolling for videos of his flight display online.

Pride of the Village

 

Wing Commander Syal, 37, was posted at Sulur Air Force Station and was part of the IAF team sent to showcase the indigenous Tejas aircraft at the prestigious Dubai Airshow. Villagers and former schoolmates from Sainik School Sujanpur Tira remembered him as a dedicated athlete, a brilliant student, and an inspiration.

“He was the gem and the pride of our village and our school. We have lost a courageous, dutiful, and valiant pilot,” said a relative, echoing the sentiment of the entire community.

The Tragedy in Dubai

 

The Tejas Mark-1 fighter jet, while performing a low-altitude aerobatic demonstration at the Al Maktoum International Airport on Friday, failed to recover from a manoeuvre and tragically crashed, bursting into flames. Wing Commander Syal could not eject in time and sustained fatal injuries.

The IAF has since expressed its deep regret over the loss of life and has ordered a Court of Inquiry to determine the exact cause of the accident, coordinating with aviation authorities in Dubai to recover the aircraft’s data recorder (black box). Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu have extended their deepest condolences to the bereaved family.