- The aviation watchdog has ordered a special audit of VSR Ventures after Ajit Pawar's plane crash
- The audit report, expected by February 15, will investigate checks and balances and logbooks of the company
- European aviation regulator stopped Indian private jet firm VSR Ventures from flying to EU areas
Investigation into the Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's plane crash has intensified with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) ordering a special audit of VSR Ventures, the private jet company that flew the leader.
NCP Chief Pawar was flying in a Learjet 45 XR from Mumbai to Baramati in Pune when it crashed during a second landing attempt, reportedly due to poor visibility. Ajit Pawar and four others on board, including pilot Sumit Kapur, co-pilot Shambhavi Pathak, Pawar's personal security officer Vidip Jadhav, and flight attendant Pinky Mali, were killed on the spot.
The audit report, expected by February 15, will investigate the checks and balances and logbooks of the company. It is meant to check if the company was keeping tabs on the maintenance of the aircraft and filing the logbook as per the protocol.
On the other hand, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is probing the circumstances that led to the crash.
European Union Had Acted Against VSR Ventures
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the European Union's (EU) aviation regulator that certifies non-EU airlines operating in its territories, had denied permission to VSR Ventures to enter EU airspace, India's aviation regulator DGCA said in a statement.
EASA suspended Third Country Operator (TCO) authorisation for VSR Ventures after the company failed to respond to the EU aviation regulator's queries on an accident on September 14, 2023, involving a Learjet 45 (tail No. VT-DBL), the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in response to a story first reported by The Times of India.
TCO is a mandatory safety certification issued by EASA for non-EU airlines operating commercial flights in the European Union and specific European territories.
VSR Ventures received TCO authorisation from the EU agency in 2020. Following the September 2023 accident, EASA in 2024 asked VSR Ventures to share certain details of the accident, which the company never provided. As a result, on December 17, 2024, EASA suspended VSR's TCO authorisation, and a year later, the authorisation was revoked.
September 2023 Crash
On September 14, 2023, a Learjet 45XR crashed while landing at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport amid heavy rain and poor visibility.
The aircraft was operating a non-scheduled passenger flight, under the command of a Pilot in Command, holding an Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL) and a co-pilot holding a Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL), from Visakhapatnam to Mumbai. There were six passengers on board.
According to a report by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the aircraft "took off normally from Visakhapatnam, and the flight en route was uneventful."
"The aircraft established contact with Mumbai tower and was instructed to prepare for landing. The aircraft was cleared to land on Runway 27 and was given landing clearance at 113109 UTC. At the time of landing, Mumbai Airport was experiencing heavy rains and reduced visibility. The winds reported to the crew at the time of landing clearance was 'WIND 140 DEGREES 7 KTS RWY27'," the report added.
About VSR Ventures
VSR Ventures Pvt Ltd, the registered legal name of the company VSR Aviation, is a New Delhi-based non-scheduled air transport operator specialising in private jet charters, medical evacuations, and aviation consultancy. The VT-SSK Learjet 45XR that crashed was created in the 1990s as a challenger to Cessna Citation Excel in the "super-light" business category.
