Baramati Plane Crash: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others on board a chartered aircraft were killed after it crashed barely 200 metres from the edge of a tabletop runway at Baramati Airport in Pune district on Wednesday. The death of the 66-year-old leader, affectionately known as Dada (elder brother) in the state, has not only left a vacuum in the BJP-led state coalition government, but also cast a shadow over the future of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which he led.
The 16-year-old aircraft, operated by VSR Ventures Pvt Ltd, crashed while attempting a second landing approach at the airport, which is an uncontrolled airfield where traffic information is typically provided by instructors and pilots from local flying training organisations.
The other victims were Captain Sumit Kapoor, who had 15,000 hours of flying experience, co-pilot Captain Shambhavi Pathak, with 1,500 flying hours, Personal Security Officer (PSO) Vidip Jadhav, and flight attendant Pinky Mali.
The aircraft, a Learjet, was cleared for landing in Baramati on Wednesday morning after a go-around due to poor visibility. However, after receiving clearance, it did not acknowledge the Air Traffic Control (ATC) and moments later burst into flames at the edge of the runway.
Ajit Pawar's Death: What We Know So Far
- New CCTV footage has emerged showing the Learjet 45, carrying Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others, tilting to its left moments before crashing near the runway at Baramati Airport on Wednesday morning. The clip shows the aircraft descending rapidly and sharply rolling to the left, fairly close to the ground.
- CCTV footage shows the plane tilting at 8:44 am, just before it rapidly lost altitude.
- Ajit Pawar’s last rites will be held with full state honours on Thursday in Baramati.
- The Learjet 45, owned by VSR Ventures Pvt Ltd and registered VT-SSK, took off from Mumbai at 8:10 am with Ajit Pawar, his PSO Vidip Jadhav, Captain Sumit Kapoor, First Officer Shambhavi Pathak, and flight attendant Pinky Mali on board. About 30 nautical miles from Baramati, the pilots were informed about weather conditions and told that visibility was about 3 km, which is considered safe for landing.
- As the aircraft began its approach, the pilots reported they could not see the landing strip and were instructed to do a go-around. As it approached the runway again around 8:34 am, it was cleared for landing.
- Minutes later, the plane reportedly 'went silent' or stopped transmitting signals and crashed in a fireball near the lone runway at the airport.
- All five people on board had died by the time rescuers reached the site.
- V K Singh, owner of VSR Ventures, said the pilot apparently could not see the runway and performed a “missed approach”, which is a standard procedure in such cases.
- Ajit Pawar’s mortal remains were brought to an educational institute in Baramati, Pune district, on Wednesday evening amid an outpouring of emotions. Grief-stricken NCP workers and local residents shouted slogans in tribute to the late leader. Slogans such as “Ajit dada amar rahe” (Long live Ajit dada) and “Ajit dada parat ya” (Ajit dada, come back) filled the air as the remains were brought to the premises of Vidya Pratishtan in his home turf of Baramati, allowing people to pay their respects.
- Senior leaders, cutting across party lines, expressed deep shock and grief over the untimely death of Maharashtra Deputy CM and NCP president Ajit Pawar, who was killed in a plane crash near Baramati in Pune district.
- Eyewitness accounts from the crash site describe a scene of chaos, with residents near Baramati Airport reporting that the aircraft appeared to lose control before erupting into a series of large explosions. One eyewitness described watching the plane circle the airport, noting it appeared “a bit unstable” before making its final approach. According to her, the plane 'hit the ground hard and exploded' upon impact, with the blast being heard in homes throughout the area.
- The Civil Aviation Ministry, quoting the individual manning the Air Traffic Control at Baramati, issued a statement about the sequence of events, indicating that the flight encountered visibility issues during its landing attempt despite reports of calm weather.
- The statement said that at 8:18 am, the aircraft first established contact with Baramati air traffic control after being released by the Pune approach at 30 nautical miles (around 55 km) inbound to Baramati.
- The crew was advised to descend at their discretion under Visual Meteorological Conditions and were also informed that winds were calm and visibility was approximately 3,000 metres.
- Upon reaching the final approach for the runway, the crew reported that the runway was not in sight and initiated a go-around to reposition for a second attempt.
- After initially stating the runway was still not visible, the crew reported 'runway in sight' just seconds later, and ATC cleared the aircraft to land at 8:43 am.
- However, the crew did not provide the mandatory read-back of this final clearance, and at 8:44 am, exactly one minute after the last communication, ATC personnel observed flames erupting near the threshold of the runway.
- Emergency services reached the scene immediately following the explosion, and the wreckage was located on the left side of the runway.
- The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is currently analysing why the crew struggled to maintain visual contact with the runway despite the reported 3,000-metre visibility.
- A wristwatch, a constant companion of Ajit Pawar, who was known for his punctuality, served as the sombre proof to identify him at the crash site, eyewitnesses claimed.
- The wreckage of the crashed Learjet, which was engulfed in flames, lay scattered when villagers rushed to the spot, barely 200 metres from the edge of the runway. They claimed Pawar was identified by his wristwatch.
- West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday called for a Supreme Court-monitored probe into the death of NCP leader Ajit Pawar in the plane crash, alleging that all other agencies have been completely compromised, with several opposition leaders, including Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, backing her demand.
- NCP (SP) president and Ajit Pawar’s uncle Sharad Pawar, however, said the plane crash was an accident and should not be politicised.
- Maharashtra government declared a three-day state mourning until January 30, during which the national flag will be flown at half-mast on all buildings.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday expressed his shock over the untimely death of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in the plane crash. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Modi said Ajit Pawar was a leader of the people with a strong grassroots-level connection.
- PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah are expected to attend the funeral, which will be held at Vidya Pratishthan ground at 11:00 am, the Nationalist Congress Party confirmed.
- Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday described the death of his fellow Deputy CM Ajit Pawar as sad and unfortunate, adding that the aircraft accident that claimed his life would be thoroughly investigated.
- Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his deputy Eknath Shinde on Wednesday met Sunetra Pawar, wife of the late Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Ajit Pawar, in Baramati and paid their respects.
- A specialised team from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) arrived at the crash site on Wednesday evening to begin a forensic investigation into the tragic accident that killed Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others.
- The investigation will focus on the technical factors that led to the crash of the Learjet 45 aircraft, operated by Delhi-based VSR Ventures Pvt Ltd, during its second attempt to land at the Baramati tabletop airstrip.
- Meanwhile, Baramati has an uncontrolled airfield, and traffic information is provided by instructors/pilots from the Flying Training Organisations at Baramati.
( With Inputs from Agnencies )