Ajit Pawar dies in plane crash: Baramati tragedy revives hard questions on VVIP flights in India

NEW DELHI: The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau has launched a formal investigation into the plane crash at Baramati airport that killed Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and four others on Wednesday, officials said. An AAIB team is expected to visit the crash site to examine the wreckage and collect technical evidence related to the accident.

A senior official told PTI that the investigation will focus on flight data, aircraft maintenance records, pilot logs, air traffic control communications and weather conditions at the time of the crash. The AAIB is India’s designated authority for probing aviation accidents and is responsible for classifying incidents and identifying technical, operational or human factors behind such crashes.




The aircraft involved was a Learjet 45 with registration VT-SSK, operated by Delhi-based VSR Ventures. According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, five people including two crew members were onboard the business jet when it crash-landed at Baramati airport. Preliminary reports indicate the aircraft lost control during the landing phase.

Besides Ajit Pawar, the passengers included a personal security officer (Vidip Jadhav) and an attendant(Pinky Mali). The flight crew comprised Pilot-in-Command Sumit Kapur and Second-in-Command Shambhavi Pathak.

Emergency services and senior security officials reached the site shortly after the crash, while local residents were among the first responders. Three bodies were shifted to Baramati Medical College, where identification procedures are underway, the Pune Superintendent of Police said. A DGCA team has also arrived at the site to assist in the preliminary assessment.

The chartered aircraft belonged to VSR Ventures, the same operator whose plane had crashed at Mumbai airport on October 14, 2023. All passengers survived that incident, and a technical snag was cited as the cause. Preliminary information suggests a technical issue may have contributed to Wednesday’s crash as well.

The flight was operating amid ongoing elections to Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis in Maharashtra. Pawar was travelling from Mumbai to Baramati to attend a public meeting, reflecting the heavy air travel schedules maintained by political leaders during election campaigns.

The Baramati crash adds to a growing list of aviation incidents involving VVIP travel that have come under scrutiny in recent years. In October 2024, a helicopter scheduled to pick up NCP leader Sunil Tatkare crashed in Pune, while western Maharashtra has witnessed multiple emergency landings linked to sudden weather changes.

The incident is expected to intensify scrutiny of charter operators, pilot duty hours and safety oversight in the non-scheduled aviation sector, which plays a critical role in political and administrative travel across the country.

AAIB is India’s designated authority for investigating aviation safety occurrences within Indian airspace. Its mandate includes classifying events as accidents, serious incidents or incidents, and conducting detailed technical investigations into causes ranging from pilot error and mechanical failure to weather conditions and operational lapses.

Unlike routine inquiries, AAIB investigations involve flight data analysis, examination of aircraft maintenance records, pilot logs, air traffic control communications and meteorological data. The bureau’s findings often result in safety recommendations aimed at regulators, operators and manufacturers to prevent future accidents.
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