Wednesday’s dawn turned tragic at Baramati when a Learjet-45 carrying Maharashtra Dy CM Ajit Pawar crashed on landing, engulfing in flames and claiming five lives. En route from Mumbai for local polls rallies, VT-SSK’s mishap at the uncontrolled airstrip stunned the nation.
Delhi’s VSR Ventures, with its diverse 17-plane fleet and valid AOP to 2028, passed a February 2025 audit sans major issues—despite a 2023 Mumbai incident under review for a similar model.
The experienced crew—PIC Sumit Kapoor (over 15k hours), SIC Shambhavi Pathak (1.5k hours)—alongside Pawar, security Vidip Jadhav, and attendant Pinki Mali, stood no chance post-impact.
Flight path: Post-Mumbai, Pune ATC greenlit visual approach amid benign weather. Runway 11 final called, but initial miss led to go-around. Sighted on retry, cleared 8:43 AM sans readback. Flames flashed at threshold; jet yawed left, crashed ahead.
AAIB spearheads the inquiry, mobilizing from capital to site. DGCA assists, eyeing recorders for clues on what doomed the approach. Pawar’s untimely exit amid campaign fervor prompts scrutiny of private aviation standards, fueling demands for enhanced protocols at such vulnerable airfields.