Dense fog, failed landing attempt, explosion: How Ajit Pawar’s plane crashed in Baramati
Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar died after his Learjet 45 crashed while landing at Baramati amid dense fog. Here is a series of events that led to the crash of the plane.
Ajit Pawar dies in plane crash
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has died after his plane crashed during landing at Baramati airport on Wednesday (Jan 28). DGCA has confirmed that there were no survivors in the Baramati plane crash in which the deputy CM was on board.
Why was Pawar travelling to Baramati?
Pawar was on a tour to Maharashtra’s Baramati and was set to hold four election rallies. The charter plane was travelling from Mumbai to Baramati when it crash landed at 8:45 am.
Learjet 45 aircraft departs from Mumbai
The Learjet 45 aircraft had departed from Mumbai’s GA Terminal at 8:10 am. The three passengers included Pawar, Mumbai Police constable Vidip Jadhav and an attendant, Pinky Mali. Captain Shambhavi Pathak, the pilot of Ajit Pawar’s Learjet 45, and crew member Captain Sumit Kapoor were also on the aircraft.
Dense fog
Dense fog engulfed the Pune–Baramati area, leading to extremely low visibility in the region. The airstrip at the Baramati airport is small and is not equipped with ILS (Instrument Landing System) facilities. Due to this, the pilot of the plane, Captain Shambhavi Pathak, had to attempt a manual and visual landing.
First landing aborted
Instead of approaching the runway directly, the aircraft made a large turn. This suggested that the plane had aborted its first landing attempt.
MAYDAY call
A second landing attempt was made. However, the pilot issued a MAYDAY call during this. According to DGCA sources, the airstrip is a table-top runway.
Crash landing
The plane failed to successfully land and crashed during the landing near the edge of the runway. Reportedly, the balance was lost at about an altitude of 100 feet.
Explosion
On impact, the aircraft exploded, sending a massive ball of fire and smoke in air. The initial blast was followed by smaller ones, and a huge fire engulfed the plane. Immediate rescue efforts were hampered due to the severe blaze.
Investigation
Following the tragic incident, India’s civil aviation watchdog, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) launched an investigation. This follows a shocking revelation that, after the plane crash, attempts were underway to save the passengers. Pawar was among those critically injured but still alive when the aircraft exploded.
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