The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Maharashtra government has launched an investigation into the Baramati plane crash that killed Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others on Wednesday.
CCTV footage showed chilling moments of the plane crash, as it descended sharply, followed by a sudden flash as it hit the ground. Within seconds, a huge fireball erupted at the site, with thick columns of dark smoke rapidly engulfing the surrounding area.
The crash claimed the life of Ajit Pawar, 66, casting a deep shadow of grief over Baramati. His personal security officer, Vidip Jadhav, flight attendant Pinky Mali, Pilot-in-Command Sumit Kapur, and Second-in-Command Shambhavi Pathak, were also killed in the crash.
Ajit Pawar’s last rites were performed with full state honours on Thursday as thousands gathered at the Vidya Pratishthan Ground in Baramati, his electoral stronghold. His wife Sunetra and his two sons – Parth and Jay – performed the last rites in the presence of veteran political leaders and a crowd of NCP supporters who arrived to catch a last glimpse of their leader.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) had launched a full-scale probe into the crash, and the Union Aviation Ministry cited poor visibility as a primary factor. The black box of the ill-fated aircraft carrying Ajit Pawar and others has also been recovered, according to the ministry.
How Did The Crash Take Place?
The aircraft, Learjet 45, on which Pawar was travelling, was scheduled to take off at 7 am; instead, it took off at 8:10 am, and the Air Traffic Control (ATC) received information about the crash at 9:12 am.
The plane was cleared for landing in Baramati on Wednesday morning after a go-around due to poor visibility, but having finally received a clearance it did not give any read-back to the ATC. Moments later, the plane burst into flames near the edge of the airstrip.
The Civil Aviation Ministry confirmed that the aircraft’s black box, comprising the Flight Data Recorder and Cockpit Voice Recorder, had been recovered, a crucial development expected to help investigators reconstruct the final moments of the flight and determine what led to the tragedy.
It was also reported that Kapur, who had over 15,000 hours of flying experience, and co-pilot Pathak, with about 1,500 hours, were advised of weather conditions and told to land at their discretion. The ongoing probe is expected to provide detailed findings on what led to one of Maharashtra’s most significant aviation tragedies.
