Plane That Ajit Pawar Died In Had Crashed In 2023 As Well

The plane that Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar died in a crash this morning, had crashed in 2023 as well. In September 2023, the private plane skid off the runway and crashed while trying to land amid heavy rain at Mumbai airport. 

NCP Chief Ajit Pawar and four other people, including a pilot and a crew member, were killed after an aircraft carrying them crashed in Pune district on Wednesday morning. The aircraft, a Learjet 45, was owned and operated by VSR Ventures. The small aircraft took off from Mumbai around 8 am, crashed near Baramati airport after it lost control during a landing attempt 45 minutes later. The aircraft caught fire after the crash. The visuals from the ground show mangled remains.

Speaking to NDTV, Captain VK Singh Of VSR Aviation said the accident appears to have happened due to low visibility, owing to current weather conditions. We don't know more than this currently, he added.

According to reports, Pawar was to attend four important public meetings ahead of the local body polls.

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September 2023 Crash

On Spetmber 14, 2023, a Learjet 45XR, owned and operated by VSR Ventures, 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.

Accoding 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.

Also Read | Video Shows Ajit Pawar's Plane In Pieces, On Fire After Crash Landing

The aircraft, however, continuously drifted right of the Runway 27 and moved towards Apron C. About 40 seconds after the autopilot was disconnected, a stick shaker and a stall warning alert sounded in the cockpit, followed by multiple Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS) alerts.

The aircraft subsequently crash-landed on the shoulder near the intersection of two taxiways - W and N. The impact caused the fuselage to break into two sections, with the aircraft skidding before coming to rest. A fire broke out following the crash, and all occupants were evacuated from the aircraft. While all sustained injuries due to the impact, the passengers and the Pilot-in-Command were discharged after initial medical treatment. The co-pilot suffered serious injuries and required a longer period of hospitalisation.

In another accident, a Learjet 45XR (registration 3912) operated by the Mexican Air Force crashed shortly after take-off from Xalapa-El Lencero Airport. All six occupants were killed in the accident that took place in February 2021.

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. 

Also Read | Ajit Pawar Plane Crash Described By Eyewitness: "Fell 100 Feet Before Runway"