Ajit Pawar's plane crash: What happened in the final minutes? Details here

The aircraft carrying Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar was cleared for landing at Baramati on Wednesday (January 28) morning after multiple attempts. However, after finally receiving landing clearance, the aircraft did not give the mandatory “read-back” response to Air Traffic Control (ATC) and moments later burst into flames near the the runway.

Final moments before the crash

The Learjet 45, owned by VSR Ventures Pvt Ltd, was attempting to land amid poor visibility, Civil Aviation Minister K. Ram Mohan Naidu said earlier. A statement issued by the civil aviation ministry detailed the final minutes leading up to the crash, which killed all five people on board, including Ajit Pawar.

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Baramati operates as an “uncontrolled airfield”, where traffic information is provided by instructors and pilots from flying training organisations based there. According to Baramati ATC, the aircraft first established contact at 8.18 am. Its next call was made when it was 30 nautical miles inbound, at which point it was advised to descend under “visual meteorological conditions” at the pilot’s discretion.

The crew sought information on wind and visibility and were informed that winds were calm and visibility stood at around 3,000 metres. On the final approach to Runway 11, the crew reported that the runway was not visible and initiated a go-around during the first landing attempt.

Landing clearance, then silence

Following the go-around, ATC again asked whether the crew could see the runway. The pilots responded that the runway was still not in sight and that they would report once it became visible. A few seconds later, the crew informed ATC that they could see the runway.

“The aircraft was cleared to land on Runway 11 at 0843 IST. However, they did not give a read-back of the landing clearance,” the ministry’s statement said. At 0844 IST, ATC personnel observed flames near the threshold of Runway 11. Emergency services rushed to the site immediately, but there were no survivors.

Investigation and aircraft details

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has taken over the probe, with the Director General of AAIB heading to the crash site. The aircraft was operated by a Non-Scheduled Operator (NSOP) holding Permit No. 07/2014.

VSR Ventures’ fleet includes seven Learjet 45 aircraft, five Embraer 135BJ aircraft, four King Air B200 aircraft and one Pilatus PC-12 aircraft. The Learjet involved in the crash was manufactured in 2010.

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Its certificate of airworthiness was issued on December 16, 2021, while the certificate of registration was issued on December 27, 2022. The airworthiness review certificate was issued on September 10, 2025, and was valid until September 14, 2026.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation conducted its last regulatory audit of the aircraft in February 2025, and the ministry said no level-I safety findings were recorded.

(With agency inputs)