How Ajit Pawar’s plane crashed in Baramati: Human error or technical glitch?

A Learjet 45 carrying Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar crashed near Baramati Airport on Wednesday morning killing all five people on board including two crew members Preliminary reports point to poor visibility during the final approachAccording to the Ministry of Civil Aviation the aircraft made first contact with Baramati at 818 am and was cleared by Pune approach while inbound During the approach to Runway 11 the pilots reported limited visibility and carried out a goaround after failing to sight the runwayOn the second attempt the crew said the runway was visible and the aircraft was cleared to land at 843 am but no readback was received About one minute later ground staff saw flames near the runway threshold followed by a loud explosion Emergency teams rushed to the site where the wreckage was found close to the runwayThe Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau AAIB has taken charge of the probeThe Central government on Wednesday released a detailed account of the air accident that killed Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others near Baramati Airport on January 28 2026Fresh visuals from the plane crash that killed Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and five others show charred wreckage scattered debris and smoke rising from the site near Baramati The Bombardier Learjet 45 had crashlanded while Pawar was travelling to addresshellip pictwittercomwlazaE8ISDmdash Mid Day mid_day January 28 2026The incident involved a Learjet 45 aircraft registration VTSSK operated by VSR Ventures Pvt Ltd flying on the MumbaindashBaramati sector All five people on board received fatal injuries including two crew members a personal security officer and an attendantOperator and aircraft detailsAccording to an official statement released by the DGCA VSR Ventures is a nonscheduled operator NSOP with permit number 072014 valid until 20 April 2028 The company has a fleet of 17 aircraft including seven Learjet 45s five Embraer 135BJ four King Air B200 and one Pilatus PC12The aircraft involved in the crash VTSSK was manufactured in 2010 and had an Airworthiness Review Certificate ARC valid until 14 September 2026 The aircraft had logged 4915 flight hours and 5867 cycles since newVSR Ventures had previously experienced another accident in September 2023 when a Learjet 45 VTDBL suffered an accident during landing at Mumbai Airport That case is still under investigation by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau AAIBAjit Pawar dies in plane crash Follow LIVE Updates hereCrew and passenger informationThe pilotincommand PIC was an ATPL holder with more than 15000 flying hours while the copilot held a CPL with approximately 1500 hours Both had valid medical certificates and recent instrument rating checksTimeline of incidentBaramati is an uncontrolled airfield meaning there is no official air traffic control tower Traffic information is provided by instructors and pilots from flying training organisations operating at the airfieldWATCH Baramati On Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawars demise in a plane crash Union Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu saysSince the incident occurred this morning the DGCA and AAIB have been alerted and their officers have been asked to come to thehellip pictwittercomFavVDPnvO9mdash ANI ANI January 28 2026According to the statement of the person manning the Baramati ATC The aircraft first contacted Baramati at 818 am When about 30 nautical miles away the flight was released by Pune approach control The crew were advised to descend under visual meteorological conditions Pilots were told winds were calm and visibility was about 3000 metres On first final approach to Runway 11 the runway was not visible leading to a goaround On the second approach the crew initially reported the runway was still not in sight but soon confirmed it was visible The aircraft was cleared to land at 843 am but no readback was received At 844 am flames were observed near the runway threshold prompting emergency response The wreckage was found on the left side of the runway near the threshold of Runway 11Investigation underwayThe AAIB has taken over the investigation and its Director General is travelling to the site to oversee evidence collection