Three-Member Panel Formed To Investigate Ajit Pawar Plane Crash, Probe Details Outlined

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has constituted a three-member investigation team to examine the circumstances surrounding the plane crash in Baramati that claimed the lives of Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and four others on January 28. The probe will be led by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), with support from a separate team of officials from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation’s Mumbai regional office.

According to the ministry, investigation teams reached the crash site on the day of the accident, while the Director General of AAIB personally visited the location of the Learjet 45 crash to supervise the inquiry. Officials confirmed that the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder, commonly referred to as the black box, have been recovered and will be analysed to piece together the aircraft’s final moments. The ministry said the inquiry is being carried out under the AAIB Rules, 2025, and will adhere strictly to established standard operating procedures, with an emphasis on transparency and timeliness.

Investigators are closely examining visibility conditions at the time of the crash, decisions taken by the flight crew and operational limitations at Baramati, which functions as an uncontrolled airfield. The aircraft was on its second landing attempt when it crashed. Forensic work at the site includes securing wreckage, mapping debris patterns and collecting crucial evidence.

Authorities have sought extensive documentation from the aircraft’s operator, Delhi-based VSR Ventures Pvt. Ltd, including maintenance records, inspection histories, airframe and engine logbooks, crew qualification details and certification papers. In parallel, radar data, air traffic communication logs, CCTV footage and hotline records are being reviewed to reconstruct the sequence of events leading up to the crash.

The business jet, registered as VT-SSK, was flying from Mumbai to Baramati and went down around 8.44 am, killing all five people on board, including two pilots and three passengers. Official timelines indicate that the aircraft departed Mumbai at 8.10 am and attempted its first landing at Runway 11 after reporting that the runway was not visible. Following a standard go-around, the crew attempted a second approach but failed to respond to landing clearance shortly before flames were seen near the runway threshold.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said early indications pointed to poor visibility but stressed that conclusions should await the outcome of a detailed and accountable investigation. The aircraft operator has denied any technical fault, stating that the jet was well maintained and that both pilots were highly experienced, describing the incident as a tragic outcome of adverse conditions.