Following the tragic plane crash in Baramati that left Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others dead, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has given an update on the status of the accident investigation.
The ministry said that all necessary response and investigation mechanisms were activated immediately after the crash and that a transparent, comprehensive and time-bound investigation remains MoCA’s top priority.
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Here are the main updates on the investigation so far
– MoCA said a team of three officers from Air Accidents Investigation Bureau (AAIB), Delhi reached the crash site on 28 January.
– A team of three officers from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Mumbai Regional Office also reached the crash site on Wednesday.
– The director general of the AAIB also arrived at the crash site on Wednesday, MoCA said, adding that the investigation was progressing “rapidly”.
– The black box of the ill-fated Learjet 45 which crashed was also recovered and sent to DGCA for further investigation.
Earlier on Wednesday, the MoCA released a report on the probe’s initial findings detailing the sequence of events that led to the fatal crash in Baramati.
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Events leading up to the crash
– MoCA said that the aircraft Ajit Pawar was flying, with registration VT-SSK, made first contact with Bramati airport at 8:18 am IST.
– Another aircraft call to Baramati was made when it was 30 nautical miles (NM) away from the airport, with MoCA saying the aircraft was advised to descend at the pilot’s discretion.
– At the time of the second call, the aircrew inquired about wind and visibility and were informed that visibility was around 3,000 meters.
– Further contact between the aircraft and Baramati occurred prior to its final approach to Runway 11, when the crew advised the airport that the runway was “not in sight” and initiated a go-around to attempt a second approach.
– After the go-around, the aircraft was asked once again about its position and the crew reported again that it was on final approach to runway 11.
– When asked again if the runway was in sight, the crew reported in the negative before responding a few seconds later to confirm that the runway was in sight.
– After confirmation, the aircraft was given the green light to land on Runway 11 with a nod at 8:43 IST.
– However, the crew of VT-SSK did not give return permission to land.
– A minute later, at 8:44 IST, ATC saw flames on the runway 11 threshold and emergency services rushed to the crash site.
– Wreckage of a Learjet 45 was found on the left side of Runway 11.
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Other details we know about
– The Learjet 45 that crashed was operated by Delhi-based VSR Ventures and passed its last safety audit in February 2025.
– The last words heard from the crew were “oh s**t”, according to a senior DGCA official quoted by Hindustan Times.
– Apart from Ajit Pawar, the plane was carrying his Personal Security Officer (PSO) Vidip Jadhav and entourage Pinky Mali. The two pilots were Captain Sumit Kapoor and Captain Shambhavi Pathak.
