• Source:JND

Ajit Pawar Plane Crash: Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister, Ajit Pawar, tragically lost his life in a plane crash along with four others, minutes before the aircraft was due to land at Baramati Airport in Maharashtra. The Bombardier Learjet 45, operated by VSR Aviation, went down in an open field. This incident is the second major crash involving VSR Aviation in a short span, following the September 2023 crash of another Learjet 45 at Mumbai Airport.

V K Singh, owner of VSR Ventures whose aircraft carrying Ajit Pawar said the pilot apparently could not see the runway and carried out a "missed approach", a standardised procedure in such cases. He said the aircraft was “very well maintained” and that there were “absolutely no problems” with its condition.

“There was no technical failure in the aircraft,” Singh affirmed.

He went on to clarify, "...It was the pilot's decision. He made an approach from runway 29, and then he carried out a missed approach. After that, he attempted another landing from runway 11. I also have no contact with the pilots; they are no longer with us," he added.

Calling the incident "very unfortunate," Singh added, "Primarily, it appears that the pilot could not see the runway...He was a very experienced pilot, with over 16,000 hours of flying time. The co-pilot also had 1,500 hours of experience. The Captain was highly experienced, having flown with Sahara, JetLite, and Jet Airways. He was also very experienced with this type of aircraft...The aircraft was very well-maintained. There was absolutely no problem with the aircraft, no technical failure, as far as we know...My deepest condolences. Captain Sumit Kapoor was a very good friend of mine. He was like a brother to me. His son is also a pilot with us. Captain Shambhavi Pathak was like a daughter to me. Both were extremely good human beings and exceptional pilots..."

The company operates a fleet of seven Learjets. When questioned about the future of the fleet, Singh firmly rejected any suggestion of grounding the remaining aircraft. "Why should I ground them? They are all fit aircraft. Why should I ground them? That's not my decision," he stated.

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He also stressed, “The Learjet is considered a ‘very, very dependable aircraft’ worldwide. So why should we ground them?”

A 'missed approach' is a standardised procedure pilots execute when a landing cannot be safely completed during an instrument approach, often called a go-around.

The Learjet, created by US inventor Bill Lear, was inspired by a Swiss fighter aircraft and can carry up to eight passengers. In 1990, Bombardier, a Canadian manufacturer, acquired the Learjet brand. Once synonymous with luxury air travel for the elite, production of the Learjet ended in 2021 when Bombardier refocused on its Global and Challenger series.

In Wednesday's accident, the mid-sized business jet veered off the runway while attempting to land and was engulfed in flames. Ajit Pawar is survived by his wife, Sunetra, and their two sons, Parth and Jay.

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Along with DY CM Pawar, who was also killed in the crash, were Pawar's personal security officer, Vidip Jadhav, the two pilots, Sumit Kapur and Shambhavi Pathak and flight attendant Pinki Mali.

Pathak, who was the First Officer, was flying alongside Captain Kapur.

On the earlier 2023 crash, Singh explained, "What happened in 2023 occurred at Mumbai Airport. It was raining then too, and visibility was low. The pilot skidded off the runway after touchdown. That was the incident..."

According to FlightRadar, the Learjet, operated by VSR Aviation, took off from Mumbai at 8:10 am, disappearing from radar at 8:45 am. The crash occurred at 8:50 am, according to police sources.

Initial reports suggest the aircraft initiated a go-around on its first approach to Runway 11 due to low visibility, which was recorded at 3,000 metres.

On its second attempt, the crew confirmed they had sighted the runway, but did not acknowledge the final landing clearance at 08:43 am.

Emergency responders spotted flames near the runway’s threshold just one minute after the final clearance. The wreckage was found on the left side of the runway.

The aircraft, which was manufactured in 2010, held a valid Airworthiness Review Certificate (ARC) valid until September 2026.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has officially taken charge of the investigation into the incident.


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