Possible g-force blackout: Expert on Tejas crash; pilots father says he learnt of sons death from YouTube

The Kangra valley has been left shattered after Wing Commander Naman Syal, 34, of the Indian Air Force, was martyred when his Tejas fighter jet crashed in the United Arab Emirates on Friday while taking part in the Dubai Airshow 2025. The indigenous aircraft went down during a practice and demonstration flight in the afternoon local time, with visuals showing the jet losing altitude before hitting the ground and bursting into flames, sending thick smoke into the sky and leaving spectators at the prestigious airshow stunned. Wing Commander Syal, a resident of Patialakad village in Nagrota Bagwan, was known for his discipline and exceptional service record. He completed his schooling at Primary School Dalhousie, Army Public School YoL Cantt Dharamshala, and Sainik School, Sujanpur Tira in Himachal Pradesh, before joining the NDA in 2009, as reported by The Indian Express . His father, Jagan Nath Syal, a retired Army officer and former principal, recounted the devastating moment he learned of the crash to The Indian Express . I last spoke to my son yesterday. He told me to see his performance during the air show on TV channels or YouTube. Around 4 pm today, I was searching for videos of the ongoing air show in Dubai on YouTube when I saw reports about the plane crash. Immediately, I called my daughter-in-law, who is also a Wing Commander, to check what happened. Moments later, at least six Air Force officers arrived at our house, and I realised something bad happened. The Syal family, including his mother Veena Syal, is currently at Namans home in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, while his wife, also an IAF officer, was undergoing training in Kolkata. Jagan Nath Syal described his son as excellent in studies and someone who dreamt big about his life. This incident left us completely shattered, he told The Indian Express . Wing Commander Syal is survived by his wife and their six-year-old daughter. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu expressed profound sorrow on X, saying, The news of the tragic death of Himachal Pradeshs Kangra districts brave son, Naman Syal ji, in the Tejas aircraft accident at the Dubai Air Show is extremely saddening and heartbreaking. The nation has lost a courageous, dutiful, and valiant pilot I bow to the indomitable bravery, sense of duty, and dedication to national service of the brave son, as reported. The tragedy sent waves of grief across the Kangra valley. Villagers gathered outside the Syal family home late into the night, many in shock, lighting bonfires to keep warm as they tried to come to terms with the loss of the brave officer. Pilot lost control or blackout due to g-forces: Defence expert Capt Anil Gaur Looking at the nature of the Tejas aircraft crash during the Dubai Air Show 2025, defence expert Captain Anil Gaur (Retd.) speculated that the incident might have occurred due to the pilot losing control or a blackout due to the g-forces induced by gravity. Speaking to ANI on Friday, Captain Gaur said that the exact cause of the crash can only be determined after the data from the cockpit is retrieved. Expressing condolences to the family of Wing Commander Naman Syal, who tragically lost his life in the crash, Captain Gaur said, It is sad that our Tejas jet was crashed during the Dubai air show and our brave pilot lost his life. From the visuals, it seems that the jet lost control during the acrobatics, or there might have been a pilot blackout. Blackout here means the excessive gravitational force. Pilots wear a G-suit so that the blood does not pool in their legs; there might have been an issue with that. What exactly happened can only be determined once the cockpit data is retrieved. I express my condolences to the family of the pilot, he added. Excessive g-forces can cause blood to pool in the lower body, potentially leading to a pilot blackout. The Indian Air Force announced the death of the Pilot after a Tejas aircraft crashed and burst into flames at the Dubai Air Show 2025 on Friday. An IAF Tejas aircraft met with an accident during an aerial display at the Dubai Air Show today. The pilot sustained fatal injuries in the accident. IAF deeply regrets the loss of life and stands firmly with the bereaved family in this time of grief, a statement by the Indian Air Force said. The IAF said a court of inquiry is being constituted to ascertain the cause of the accident in which the pilot succumbed to fatal injuries. The plane went down while performing an aerial display before a large crowd, local media reported. Khaleej Times reported that the fighter jet crashed into the ground soon after take-off. Photos and videos shared online show plumes of black smoke billowing into the air from the aircraft on the ground. The news outlet cited one eyewitness as saying, As soon as the plane took off, it crashed. I am not sure which aircraft it was. (With inputs from Agencies)