Russian aerobatic team honour Indian pilot with ‘Missing Man’ tribute after Tejas crash at Dubai Air Show - VIDEO
Wing Commander Namansh Syal of the Indian Air Force was honoured with a solemn “Missing Man” manoeuvre by Russia’s aerobatic team, the Russian Knights, after he lost his life in the Tejas fighter jet crash at the Dubai Air Show on Friday. The tribute came shortly after the accident, which sent shockwaves across the international aviation community.
The Russian Knights released a video of their final performance at the air show, dedicating it to the Indian pilot. The clip, posted on the Russian social media platform VK, described the tragedy as “impossible to describe” and said the team was flying in memory of “the brothers who did not return from the last flight.” Their gesture was widely shared online, highlighting the deep camaraderie that exists among military aviators across nations, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
The crash also drew a strong emotional response from the US F-16 demonstration team. Captain Taylor Hiester, one of the pilots, expressed his disbelief that the air show continued despite the fatal accident. Out of respect for Wing Commander Syal and the Indian Air Force, the US team and several others cancelled their scheduled performance. Hiester wrote about the moment on his way back to the United States, recalling how the team watched the scene unfold in silence, thinking of the Indian maintenance crew standing beside an empty aircraft slot, with the pilot’s ladder on the ground and his belongings still inside his rental car.
The fatal accident occurred during an eight-minute aerobatic display by the Tejas. The aircraft suddenly lost altitude mid-manoeuvre and plunged toward the ground. Visuals broadcast by multiple channels showed the fighter jet diving sharply before erupting into flames upon impact, sending thick black smoke rising over Dubai’s Al Maktoum International Airport. Families and aviation enthusiasts watched in horror as emergency teams raced to the crash site.
The tragedy has cast a sombre shadow over this year’s air show, prompting tributes from pilots and teams across the world who have expressed solidarity with the Indian Air Force and Wing Commander Syal’s family.
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