How the Tejas Fighter Jet Crashed: Expert Explains Cause, Pilot’s Father Recalls Moment He Learned the News

A Tejas fighter jet crashed during a stunt at the Dubai Air Show, killing Wing Commander Naman Sial. Eyewitnesses and aviation experts say the pilot attempted a risky low-altitude maneuver.

WEBDESK – MediaBites – Imran Malik – November 22, 2025

An Indian Air Force (IAF) Tejas fighter jet crashed during a stunt performance on the final day of the Dubai Air Show on Friday, killing Wing Commander Naman Sial, a decorated pilot from Himachal Pradesh. The crash unfolded within seconds as thousands of spectators watched in shock.

How the Tejas Went Down

According to IAF officials, the single-engine Tejas was performing a series of aerobatic maneuvers when it lost altitude at high speed. The aircraft, inducted into the Indian Air Force in 2016 and known for being over 50% India-made, had completed only a few minutes of flight before the accident.

Major Manoj Kumar, an Indian Army officer witnessing the show, told Reuters the jet was performing a “negative-G maneuver very close to the ground.”
“They were already flying low,” he said. “The pilot tried to correct but didn’t have enough height. Within moments, the aircraft went straight into the ground.”

He described a chilling silence before a massive fireball erupted.
“It was shocking… I have never felt such emotions in my life,” he said.

Another spectator, Jagdish Varya, said the aircraft completed “only two or three loops” before descending sharply.
“Three different fireballs appeared when it hit the ground,” he said. “Emergency vehicles reached the site within seconds.”

Expert View: A Low-Altitude Maneuver Gone Wrong

Aviation expert Saj Ahmad of Strategic Aero Research in London said early footage suggests the maneuver was attempted at an altitude “too low to safely recover.”

“The pilot didn’t have enough vertical space to complete the loop,” he said. “But investigations are still in the earliest phase. The good thing is that the crash was captured from multiple angles, which will help determine the exact sequence of failure.”

IAF has not yet reported a mechanical malfunction, but preliminary assessments point to insufficient recovery height during a complex stunt.

A Father’s Heartbreaking Wait

Back in India, the pilot’s father, Jagnnath Sial, learned about the crash while trying to watch the air show online.

“I saw a report saying the aircraft had crashed,” he told The Indian Express. “I immediately called my daughter-in-law, who is also a Wing Commander, and asked her to find out what happened.”

Minutes later, six Air Force officers arrived at their home.
“I understood everything from their faces before they even said a word,” he said softly.

Sial, a retired school principal, and his wife were staying in Tamil Nadu with their son’s family, helping care for their granddaughter while Naman’s wife was away for training.

“When they came, I only asked one question: ‘When will my son’s body arrive?’” he said. “They could not give a clear time… it may take two days.”

Wing Commander Naman Sial joined the Air Force in 2009 and was known for his exceptional academic and flying skills.

Condolences Across Borders

While social media was flooded with debate, several Pakistani officials expressed condolences. Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif reshared a message from a think tank stating:
“Our rivalries remain only in the skies.”

The message also extended sympathy to the Indian Air Force and the pilot’s family — a rare moment of humane acknowledgment amid geopolitical tensions.

A Tragedy Beyond Borders

The Dubai Air Show, attended by 150,000 people and over 1,500 companies, ended in mourning as spectators left quietly. For many, the crash was a stark reminder of the risks pilots take while pushing the limits of aviation.

And for one family in India, it marked an unimaginable loss:
A son, husband, father — gone in seconds.