Teams from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) have reached Baramati to examine technical, operational, and environmental factors behind the accident.
Mumbai:An investigation has been ordered into the aircraft accident near Baramati airport that killed Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others on Wednesday morning. Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu said the probe would be conducted in a transparent and accountable manner to ascertain the exact cause of the crash.
Providing preliminary details, the minister said the chartered Learjet 45 attempted to land at around 8.48 am but reported that the runway was not in sight. After executing a go-around, the pilots received landing clearance from Baramati Air Traffic Control (ATC) shortly before the crash.
Teams from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) have reached Baramati to examine technical, operational, and environmental factors behind the accident.
According to the DGCA, the Learjet 45 aircraft (registration VT-SSK), operated by M/s VSR Ventures Pvt Ltd, was flying the Mumbai–Baramati sector when it met with the accident. There were five persons on board, including two crew members and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. “All occupants of the aircraft sustained fatal injuries,” the regulator said.
The crew members were identified as Captain Sumit Kapur, Pilot-in-Command, and co-pilot Shambhavi Pathak.
In a detailed statement, the DGCA said VSR Ventures is a non-scheduled operator holding Permit No. 07/2014. The operator’s Air Operator Permit was first issued on April 21, 2014, last renewed on April 3, 2023, and is valid until April 20, 2028. The most recent regulatory audit was conducted in February 2025, during which no Level-I findings were recorded.
The DGCA noted that another Learjet 45 operated by the same company (VT-DBL) was involved in an accident during landing at Mumbai airport on September 14, 2023. That incident is currently under investigation by the AAIB.
The aircraft involved in Wednesday’s crash was manufactured in 2010. Its Certificate of Registration was issued on December 27, 2022, while the Certificate of Airworthiness was issued on December 16, 2021. The Airworthiness Review Certificate was issued on September 10, 2025, and was valid until September 14, 2026.
The jet was powered by TFE731-20BR engines. The left engine had logged 4,915 hours and 48 minutes with 5,965 cycles, while the right engine had accumulated 4,526 hours and 44 minutes with 5,426 cycles.
The aircraft was flown by a Pilot-in-Command holding an Airline Transport Pilot Licence with over 15,000 hours of flying experience. His last medical examination was conducted on November 19, 2025, and was valid until May 19, 2026. He had completed his most recent Instrument Rating/Proficiency Check on August 18, 2025. The co-pilot, a Commercial Pilot Licence holder, had approximately 1,500 flying hours. Her last medical examination was conducted on July 12, 2025, valid until July 24, 2026, and her IR/PPC was completed on July 22, 2025.
Detailing the sequence of events, the DGCA said Baramati is an uncontrolled airfield where traffic information is provided by instructors or pilots from local flying training organisations.
According to the statement, the aircraft first established contact with Baramati at 8.18 am IST. Its next call was at 30 nautical miles inbound, after which it was released by Pune Approach and advised to descend under visual meteorological conditions at the pilot’s discretion. The crew was informed that winds were calm and visibility was approximately 3,000 metres.
The aircraft later reported being on final approach to runway 11 but said the runway was not in sight and initiated a go-around. During the second approach, the crew again reported that the runway was initially not visible, before stating moments later that it was in sight.
The aircraft was cleared to land on runway 11 at 8.43 am, but no readback of the landing clearance was received. At 8.44 am, ATC observed flames near the threshold of runway 11. Emergency services rushed to the site, where the wreckage was found on the left side of the runway abeam the threshold.
