Ajit Pawar Death: After the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, and NCP leader Ajit Pawar, died in a tragic plane crash on Wednesday, a new video from the accident site gave rise to many speculations around the cause of the fatal accident of a VT-SSK Learjet 45 business jet.
The probe to ascertain the exact reason for the plane crash that killed five, including the Maha Deputy CM, is underway as the black box of the ill-fated aircraft has been recovered. While the investigation is underway by three officers from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, the new CCTV footage of the last moments of the aircraft that has emerged has caught the attention of many. The footage shows that moments before the tragic crash, the aircraft's left wing dropped suddenly, turning to one side.
The Footage has reportedly led experts to speculate the reason behind the accident, with three theories particularly being in focus. According to experts, an aerodynamic stall, hard banking too close to the ground, or an engine failure could have caused the crash.
However, the exact reason behind the crash can only be ascertained through a detailed investigation, which is underway.
What Are Three Theories And What They Mean
Asymmetric Aerodynamic Stall- What Does This Mean
Aerodynamic stall is a situation in which an aircraft loses altitude due to its speed, angle, or both being in such a state that its wings stop producing lift.
According to inputs taken from the probe of the fatal Bombardier Challenger 605 crash during a circling approach in California in 2021, during asymmetric aerodynamic stall, the wing loses lift during slow-speed flight, leading to the stall and 'resulting in a rapid roll and impact with the ground'.
The Learjet 45 and Challenger 605, both aircraft, have their engines mounted in the tail section.
Did Engine Failure Cause Ajit Pawar's Plane Crash
The second possible theory that experts point to after the new video emerged is engine failure.
Normally, both engines push the plane forward with equal power, so it flies straight and level without any twisting or tilting. But if one engine suddenly loses power (or fails completely), things get uneven.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), in technical language, a yaw, which is “loss of power on one engine creates yaw due to asymmetrical thrust”, and a roll, which is “loss of power on one engine eliminates propeller blast over the wing. This elimination affects the lift distribution over the wing, causing a roll toward the inoperative engine.”
However, the experts say, the possibility of a sudden engine failure is less likely than that of an aerodynamic stall as there was no mayday call within the 60 seconds of landing clearance or crash.
Late View Of Runway Caused The Aircraft Crash
The third theory, which emerged after the CCTV footage, is that a late view of the runway might have led to the accident, as the Baramati airport does not have navigation aids and pilots have to rely on visual estimation.
A pilot, on the condition of anonymity, told the Hindustan Times, “It appears to be a late viewing of the runway and trying to get to it with a large bank angle.”
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Ajit Pawar (66) and four others were killed when the chartered plane carrying them crashed at the Baramati airport in Pune district on Wednesday. In July 2023, Ajit Pawar had joined the then-Eknath Shinde-led government, triggering a split in the NCP co-founded by his uncle Sharad Pawar.