Debris of a chartered plane carrying Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar lies crushed and burnt after the plane crashed during landing near Baramati Airport in Pune district. File | Photo credit: PTI
The AAIB’s preliminary report on the Learjet 45 crash that killed Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others will be released very soon, Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu said on Friday (February 13, 2026).
The Learjet 45 that crashed near Baramati Airport on January 28 belonged to VSR Ventures Pvt Ltd. Pawar and four others died in the crash, which is being investigated by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB).
“We will have a preliminary inquiry report very soon,” Mr Naidu said. He was speaking to journalists on the sidelines of an event organized by real estate industry body Naredco.
Pawar, his personal security officer and guide, as well as two cockpit crew – pilot-in-command Sumit Kapur and first officer Shambhavi Pathak – were killed when the Learjet 45 crashed on its second landing attempt.
“Investigations are progressing rapidly and the black box of the ill-fated aircraft has been found,” the civil aviation ministry said on January 30.
On February 10, NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar claimed that there was reason to suspect sabotage in the tragic plane crash that killed his uncle Ajit Pawar and demanded a comprehensive probe by several expert agencies.
Published – 13 Feb 2026 20:47 IST