Mumbai: The Learjet 45 aircraft in which Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP chief Ajit Pawar died in a crash on Wednesday morning had previously been involved in a serious accident in 2023, raising fresh questions about the aircraft’s operational history.
Details Of Baramati Plane Tragedy
Ajit Pawar and four others, including a pilot and a crew member, were killed after the small aircraft crashed while attempting to land near Baramati airport in Pune district. The aircraft, owned and operated by VSR Ventures, had taken off from Mumbai around 8 am and crashed approximately 45 minutes later during its landing attempt.
Officials said the aircraft lost control, went down near the airport, and caught fire on impact. Visuals from the crash site showed the mangled remains of the jet engulfed in flames.
Speaking to NDTV, Captain VK Singh of VSR Aviation said the crash appeared to have occurred due to low visibility caused by prevailing weather conditions, adding that detailed information would emerge only after a thorough investigation.
Details On 2023 Crash Incident
What has drawn particular attention, however, is that the same aircraft type, had met with a major accident in September 2023, according to the NDTV report. On September 14, 2023, a Learjet 45XR owned and operated by VSR Ventures crashed while landing at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport amid heavy rain and poor visibility.
According to a report by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the aircraft was operating a non-scheduled passenger flight from Visakhapatnam to Mumbai. It was under the command of a Pilot-in-Command holding an Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL), with a co-pilot holding a Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL). There were six passengers on board at the time.
The report stated that the flight from Visakhapatnam was uneventful until the aircraft established contact with Mumbai air traffic control and was cleared to land on Runway 27. At the time, Mumbai airport was experiencing heavy rainfall and reduced visibility, with winds reported as 140 degrees at 7 knots.
During the landing, the aircraft reportedly drifted continuously to the right of Runway 27 towards Apron C. Around 40 seconds after the autopilot was disconnected, cockpit alerts, including a stick shaker, stall warning and multiple Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS) alerts were triggered. The aircraft later crash-landed near the intersection of taxiways W and N, causing the fuselage to break into two sections. A fire broke out following the impact.
All occupants were evacuated from the aircraft in the 2023 incident. While most passengers and the Pilot-in-Command were discharged after initial treatment, the co-pilot sustained serious injuries and required prolonged hospitalisation.
With the fatal Baramati crash now confirmed, aviation authorities are expected to closely examine the aircraft’s maintenance records, past incidents and operational history as part of the ongoing investigation.
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