VSR Ventures did not respond to EASA concerns after 2023 Learjet crash in Mumbai: DGCA

NEW DELHI: The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) had in Dec 2024 suspended the third country operator (TCO) authorisation for VSR Ventures Pvt Ltd, whose Learjet’s crash in Baramati last Wednesday had left five onboard including Ajit Pawar dead. Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) sources Monday said: “EASA finding was raised against VSR Ventures due to their failure to respond to the EASA requests for furnishing information regarding the accident involving their Learjet 45 aircraft, with registration VT-DBL, on Sept 14, 2023, at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai.” TOI had broken this story last week.

Incidentally, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is yet to submit its final report in that accident which happened when the flight from Visakhapatnam had “continuously drifted” to right of the runway at Mumbai on landing and crash landed at the shoulder of the intersection of two taxiways. The aircraft was destroyed. The aviation ministry Monday said: “The investigation team has analysed all the evidence and other documents. The investigation is in final stages. The investigation team is trying their best to finalise the report on top priority.”

Meanwhile, DGCA sources Monday said in a note titled “TOI news report regarding suspension of TCO Authorisation in respect of VSR Ventures Pvt Ltd: “ EASA TCO authorisation is a mandatory safety certification issued by EASA for non-EU airlines operating commercial flights into, within, or out of the European Union, EFTA states, and specific European territories… VSR Ventures), which is an Indian non-scheduled operator, was holding the TCO authorisation from EASA which was issued in year 2020… as part of their continuous monitoring programme, EASA carried out an assessment of VSR Ventures’s operations under TCO authorisation to assess its continued compliance with the applicable requirements of their applicable regulations.”

As part of this process, EASA in 2024 had sought information on the Sept 2023 Learjet 45 (VT-DBL) accident. “In view of no response by VSR ventures to the request for information from EASA despite several reminders through their online TCO web interface as well as emails, EASA raised a level 1 finding against VSR Ventures. The level 1 finding raised by EASA (said)… ‘In particular, EASA was interested in the resulting safety recommendations potentially addressed to the air carrier and the outcome of internal investigations, notably with regard to any changes and/or interim measure(s) taken in addressing potential contributing factors’.”

EASA on Nov 22, 2024, had given a final opportunity to VSR Ventures to take adequate immediate mitigating measures on the level 1 finding and to propose a corrective action plan (CAP) for the finding, together with a root cause analysis and proposed implementation timelines, to eliminate or mitigate its root cause in order to prevent recurrence of the non-compliance(s) identified, by Dec 4, 2024.

“Since, VSR Ventures did not provide EASA with the requested documents and records, EASA vide their decision dated Dec 17, 2024, suspended the TCO authorisation in respect of VSR Ventures. EASA also informed the operator that suspension of the TCO Authorisation shall be lifted when EASA is satisfied that successful corrective action has been taken by VSR Ventures…. Since, VSR Ventures neither responded to the communications from EASA, nor took any initiative to address the non-compliance findings that led to the suspension of the TCO Authorisation, for a period of more than 12 months post suspension, EASA decided to revoke the TCO Authorisation of VSR ventures vide their decision dated Dec 18, 2025,” DGCA sources said.