Ajit Pawar plane crash: The pilot of the chartered aircraft carrying Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar mentioned poor visibility before attempting to land, news agency PTI reported on Wednesday, as details emerged about the fatal crash near Baramati in Pune district.
The Learjet 45 (LJ45) private aircraft, with five people on board, including two crew members, crashed while landing near Baramati. Pawar, 66, was travelling from Mumbai to his family’s political bastion of Baramati along with his security personnel to address public meetings ahead of the February 5 zilla parishad elections.
Flight Lost From Radar Before Crash
Flight tracking data showed the aircraft took off from Mumbai at 8:10 am and disappeared from radar around 8:45 am, shortly before the crash. The aircraft went off the runway during the landing attempt at Baramati airport and burst into flames, according to PTI sources.
The mid-size business jet is manufactured by the Learjet Division of Canada-based Bombardier Aerospace. The pilot had reportedly flagged poor visibility near the runway moments before attempting to land, raising questions about conditions at the time of the approach.
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All Five On Board Died, State Announces Mourning
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said all five people on board the aircraft died in the crash. Following the tragedy, the Maharashtra government announced three days of state mourning and cancelled all government programmes.
Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) had recently contested the municipal corporation elections in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad in alliance with the NCP (SP) led by his uncle, Sharad Pawar, underscoring the political significance of the loss as the state heads into key local body polls.