The black box from the plane that crashed in Baramati on January 28 and claimed the life of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has been recovered by local authorities, CNN News18 reported.
A chartered flight from Mumbai to Baramati crashed at around 8:45 am on Wednesday, killing all five people on board. Among the casualties were Ajit Pawar, his personal security officer, an air hostess and two crew members, including pilot Vidip Jadhav.
Quoting the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), ANI reported that the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder were recovered from the crash of a chartered plane that landed in Baramati.
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The black box, found in the back of the plane, will now be handed over to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for further investigation, the report said. This recording device helps investigators reconstruct the events that led up to the accident.
As part of the investigation into the crash, Air Accidents Investigation Bureau (AAIB) officials visited the office of VSR Ventures Private Limited, the operator of the ill-fated charter plane, and were seen loading boxes of documents into vehicles, ANI reported. The team collected airframe and engine logs, work orders, onboard documents and major inspection records for detailed examination.
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Investigators have also sought information from the DGCA regarding the aircraft and crew. In addition, radar data, CCTV footage, air traffic control records and hotline communications will be analyzed as part of the probe.
Here’s what aviation experts had to say
Aviation expert Dr. Ashoken told ANI that the actual cause of the crash can only be determined through investigation and analysis of the black box. He described aviation as the safest form of transportation, noting that most accidents occur due to human error or technical failures.
Pawar was heading to Baramati to attend a public rally for the Zilla Parishad elections.
“The exact cause of the incident can only be identified after investigation and black box data. Weather conditions and control system error. Aviation industry is safest compared to road and water transport….Major cases become news. Ajit Pawar’s death is a great loss to the country….90% of cases happen due to human error or system failure, which are also potential causes of concern.”
Aviation expert Diptesh Chaudhary also cited low visibility and possible runway deviation during final approach as possible causes.
“… There could have been several reasons for the crash. Visibility was low from what I was told. Visibility at Pune was around 2,500 meters and at Baramati it would have been lower. So low visibility could have been one, and the other is that when the plane came in on its final approach, it was at a slightly lower altitude than usual. It’s possible that the plane couldn’t level the runway on final approach,” he said.
Ajit Pawar’s Political Life
Ajit Pawar was born on 22 July 1959 in Deolali Pravara, Rahuri taluka, Ahmednagar district.
He was popularly known as “Ajit Dada” because of his tireless efforts for the people of Maharashtra and his ability to stay connected with the people and the land.
Read also | How Ajit Pawar carved his place in Maharashtra’s complex political landscape
Besides making significant contributions to government administration, Pawar oversaw the management of various cooperative organizations, including dairy unions and federations, and sugar mills.
Ajit Pawar was known for his straightforward approach and honesty. He is survived by his wife Sunetra Pawar and two sons, Jay and Parth Pawar.
(With input from agencies)
