Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party chief Ajit Pawar died after his plane crashed while attempting to land in Baramati on Wednesday. The plane had four other people on board – a security officer, a guide and two crew members, including the captain and the first officer.
The plane – a Learjet 45 (registration VT-SSK) – was attempting an emergency landing around 8:44 a.m. when it caught fire, killing all five people on board.
Hours before the tragic crash, Pawar had highlighted the work his government had done so far in a post on X — a message that seemed routine.
He highlighted the establishment of vocational training institutes, revision of payment mechanisms for contractors working with the Public Works Department, as well as extension of leases for government land allocated to ministries and private enterprises.
Pawar was heading to Baramati to attend a public rally for the Zilla Parishad elections.
What happened?
Flight tracking platform Flightradar24 reported that after take off, the aircraft flew over the Arabian Sea before heading towards Baramati. He first attempted to land around 8:30 am.
According to the operator, the first attempt was unsuccessful, probably due to poor visibility, after which a second landing attempt was made. The plane was on its second approach to Baramati Airport when it crashed, Flightradar24 reported in a post on X.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) confirmed that there were no survivors on board. The footage from the crash site shows that the wreckage of the plane is badly charred, engulfed in flames after the accident.
Maharashtra’s longest-serving deputy chief minister, though not consecutively, is survived by his wife Sunetra Pawar and his two sons, Jay and Parth Pawar.
Expressing grief over the loss, Ajit Pawar’s brother Shriniwas Pawar said, “It is a very sad moment for us. No one survived the accident. My son Yugendra is in the hospital in Baramati. We are all heading to Baramati. The last rites will be in Baramati.”
