The VSR connection: Ajit Pawar plane crash revives chilling 2023 Learjet disaster linked to same operator
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "The VSR connection: Ajit Pawar plane crash revives chilling 2023 Learjet disaster linked to same operator")
The VSR Connection Photograph: (Combination created using images from AFP)
Ajit Pawar’s fatal Baramati crash has put Delhi based charter firm VSR Aviation under scrutiny. The Learjet 45XR involved had an eerie parallel: another VSR operated Learjet of the same type crashed in Mumbai in 2023, splitting in two. All you need to know.
Ajit Pawar's death on Wednesday (Jan 28) has brought into the spotlight VSR Aviation (VSR Ventures Private Limited), a Delhi-based operator that has been linked to not just the Baramati plane crash but another one that left the aircraft dramatically split into two pieces.
VSR connection: The plane carrying Pawar also crashed three years ago
Two crashes. The same aircraft type. The same operator. That is the thread now drawing attention to Delhi-based charter firm VSR Ventures Private Limited, which operates under the name VSR Aviation. After Wednesday’s fatal crash in Maharashtra, the company’s Learjet 45 fleet is under intense scrutiny.
The aircraft that went down near Baramati was not unfamiliar to investigators. It had made headlines before. This is the eerie connection between the two plane crashes.
The crash that killed Ajit Pawar
On January 28, 2026, a Learjet 45XR registered VT SSK crash-landed while attempting to land at Baramati airport. All five people on board were killed, including Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.
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The jet had taken off from Mumbai around 8 am and lost control roughly 45 minutes later during its landing attempt. Visuals from the site showed the aircraft mangled and burnt.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has launched a formal probe into the crash.
2023 crash: An unsettling parallel
The Baramati crash has revived memories of an earlier incident. In September 2023, another Learjet 45XR, also operated by VSR Ventures, registered VT DBL, veered off the runway while landing at Mumbai airport in heavy rain. The aircraft broke into two and caught fire.
All eight passengers onboard the plane survived, but the similarities - two serious runway-related incidents involving the same operator, the same aircraft family, within three years - are hard to ignore.
According to a Ministry of Civil Aviation report, the 2023 flight from Visakhapatnam to Mumbai was uneventful until the final moments. Mumbai airport was dealing with heavy rain and reduced visibility. The aircraft drifted right of Runway 27 during landing. The jet crash landed near intersecting taxiways, splitting the fuselage. Everyone on board was injured. The co-pilot suffered serious injuries and required extended hospital care.
All we know about VSR Ventures
VSR Ventures was founded by V K Singh and Rohit Singh and operates as a major non-scheduled operator in India. Its services include private charters, medical evacuations and helicopter rentals. Speaking to NDTV after Wednesday’s crash, Captain V K Singh said poor visibility due to weather conditions may have played a role. He stressed that details were still unclear.
Notably, the Learjet 45, built by Bombardier, is a fast midsize business jet widely used around the world. It is not unique to VSR. But in India, the company’s recent record stands out.
