The pilot of the chartered aircraft carrying Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar reported poor visibility before attempting to land, news agency PTI said 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 stronghold in Baramati along with his security personnel to address public meetings ahead of the February 5 zilla parishad elections.
Flight tracking data showed that the aircraft departed from Mumbai at 8:10 am and vanished from radar around 8:45 am, shortly before the crash. During the landing attempt at Baramati airport, the aircraft veered off the runway and caught fire, according to PTI sources.
The mid-size business jet was manufactured by the Learjet division of Canada-based Bombardier Aerospace. The pilot had reportedly reported poor visibility near the runway just before attempting to land, raising questions about the conditions at the time of approach.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) confirmed that all five people on board the aircraft died in the crash. In response to the tragedy, the Maharashtra government announced three days of state mourning and cancelled all official government programmes.
Ajit 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, highlighting the political impact of his loss as the state prepares for important local body elections. (Agencies)
