NEW DELHI:Â A specialised team from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has been tasked with conducting an in-depth investigation into the charter aircraft crash in Baramati that killed five people, including Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.
Official sources said the AAIB team will recover and examine key aircraft systems such as the Flight Data Recorder, the Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS) and the Digital Engine Electronic System (DEES). Investigators will also obtain the aircraft’s airframe and engine logbooks, work orders, on-board documents and records of major inspections from the operator for detailed scrutiny.
The probe team has additionally sought documents from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) pertaining to the aircraft and the crew. As part of the investigation, radar data, CCTV footage, Air Traffic Control (ATC) recordings and hotline communications will be analysed, while statements from eyewitnesses and relevant personnel will be recorded.
Ajit Pawar was travelling from Mumbai to Baramati when the chartered jet crashed during the landing phase earlier in the day. The aircraft involved was a 16-year-old Bombardier Learjet 45, bearing tail number VT-SSK and serial number 45-417. The twin-engine light business jet, commonly used for corporate and VIP travel, was part of a 17-aircraft fleet operated by VSR.
Preliminary inputs indicate that the jet encountered problems while attempting to land, though investigators have cautioned that the precise sequence of events is still under verification. Airport staff and emergency responders reached the crash site shortly after impact and found the aircraft completely destroyed, with no survivors.
Aviation authorities have secured the area and initiated a preliminary assessment. The investigation will focus on crew communications, aircraft systems and weather conditions prevailing at the time of landing to establish the cause of the crash.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced a state holiday and three days of mourning following the demise of the Deputy Chief Minister. He said the decision on Ajit Pawar’s last rites would be taken after discussions with the family.
Notably, Ajit Pawar was the longest-serving Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra in non-consecutive tenures, having held the post six times under various governments led by Prithviraj Chavan, Devendra Fadnavis, Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde.
He is survived by his wife Sunetra Pawar, a Rajya Sabha MP, and his sons Parth and Jay. With a political career spanning over three decades, Pawar remained a central figure in Maharashtra politics, including his role in the split of the Nationalist Congress Party in July 2023 and the subsequent formation of the state government in alliance with the BJP.
