Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar died on Wednesday after the aircraft carrying him crashed near Baramati in western Maharashtra. All five people on board, including two crew members, died in the accident, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation said. Ajit Pawar, 66, was travelling with two personnel at the time of the crash. He was the nephew of Nationalist Congress Party founder Sharad Pawar.
The crash occurred during an attempted landing at Baramati, an uncontrolled airfield. Emergency services rushed to the site after flames were spotted near the runway threshold. Investigators later found the wreckage on the left side of Runway 11, abeam the threshold.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau has taken over the probe. The Director General of the bureau is travelling to the crash site. Authorities said they will share further details as the investigation continues.
Uncontrolled Airfield Setup
Baramati does not operate under a controlled air traffic system. Traffic information is shared by instructors or pilots from flying training organisations based at the airfield.
The sequence of events is based on the account of the person managing air traffic communication at Baramati at the time of the incident.
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Initial Contact Made
The aircraft, identified as VI-SSK, first contacted Baramati at 8.18 am IST on January 28.
The crew later reported being 30 nautical miles inbound after being released by Pune Approach. They received advice to descend under visual meteorological conditions at the pilot's discretion.
Weather Details Shared
The crew asked for information on wind conditions and visibility. They were told the winds were calm and visibility was around 3,000 metres.
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First Landing Attempt
During the first approach to Runway 11, the crew reported that the runway was not in sight. They then initiated a go-around.
After the manoeuvre, air traffic personnel asked the crew to report their position. The crew again stated they were on final approach to Runway 11.
Runway Sighted Briefly
The crew were asked to confirm when the runway was visible. They replied that the runway was not in sight and said they would call once they had visual contact.
A few seconds later, they reported that the runway was in sight.
Landing clearance issued
At 8.43 am IST, the aircraft received clearance to land on Runway 11. The crew did not provide a readback of the landing clearance.
One minute later, personnel at the airfield saw flames near the threshold of Runway 11. Emergency services immediately moved to the crash location.
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Investigation Takes Over
The wreckage was later found on the left side of Runway 11, abeam the threshold. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau has assumed control of the investigation.
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