&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Ajit Pawar death: AAIB probe points to low visibility, safety gaps at Baramati airport")
The preliminary report into the death of former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has cited low visibility and safety gaps at the airfield as potential reasons for the crash. The NCP chief died in an aircraft crash at Baramati Airport in Maharashtra during an emergency landing attempt. Two pilots and two security personnel accompanying him also died.
The Learjet 45 aircraft, operated by VSR Ventures, was flying from Mumbai to Baramati when it crashed while attempting to land at the airfield, killing all five people on board.
The visibility reported at Baramati on January 28 at the time of landing of aircraft VT-SSK was below the minimum requirement of five kilometres, the AAIB said in its preliminary report on Saturday.
The report noted that the crew asked for visibility while approaching Baramati, to which the tower replied 3,000 metres (three kilometres), well below the required five kilometres. It also highlighted that no dedicated meteorological facility is available at Baramati Airfield, and weather information is usually passed to aircraft using an instrument installed in the temporary tower.
Inspection of Baramati Airfield revealed that the airport is an uncontrolled airfield and lacks navigational aids other than wind socks. Two wind socks are available toward the Runway 29 side, while none were available toward Runway 11, where the aircraft carrying Pawar attempted to land.
Highlighting other discrepancies, the report said only Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operations are permitted; however, regular flying training and non-scheduled operations are conducted at the airport. The last runway re-carpeting was carried out in March 2016, and the absence of fresh surfacing has resulted in faded runway markings and the presence of loose gravel.
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The aircraft was attempting to land on Runway 11 after obtaining clearance from Baramati tower.
Both flight recorders, the Solid-State Flight Data Recorder (SSFDR) and Solid-State Cockpit Voice Recorder (SSCVR), were found in their original location in the tail section of the wreckage. They were removed and quarantined for data recovery and further analysis, the report said.
The AAIB added that the aircraft’s last flight on the Mumbai–Surat–Mumbai sector on January 26 reported no abnormalities. The operating crew and technicians also reported no issues during post-flight inspection.
Investigators found that both pilots had previously flown to Baramati and were familiar with the airfield’s topography. The crew also had experience operating VIP and other flights to uncontrolled airfields, including Baramati. The pilots had also passed the Breath Analyser (BA) test.
The probe authority recommended that the DGCA issue directions to operators conducting VFR flights to uncontrolled airfields to strictly adhere to standard operating procedures.
