Overview
- Syal’s remains were brought to Patialkar, Himachal Pradesh, where his wife, Wing Commander Afshan Akhtar, offered a final salute and the Indian Air Force presented a gun salute.
- A formal court of inquiry is reviewing the accident and has not issued any technical findings.
- The Tejas LCA Mk‑1 crashed on November 21 during an aerobatic display at Dubai’s Al Maktoum International Airport while performing a low‑altitude negative‑G manoeuvre, according to reports.
- Footage from the show captured the jet dropping forward before bursting into flames and sending thick smoke across the airfield.
- The Russian Knights dedicated their performance to Syal and the IAF, as the 34‑year‑old officer—commissioned in 2009—is remembered by colleagues and mourned by his wife and six‑year‑old daughter.