- Ajit Pawar was travelling in a Bombardier Learjet 45 - operated by VSR Aviation - when it crashed this morning
- This marks the second major accident for VSR Aviation in recent years, following the 2023 crash in Mumbai
- "Why should I ground them? They are all fit aircraft," said VSR Aviation owner
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar was travelling in a Bombardier Learjet 45 - operated by VSR Aviation - when it crashed in an open field, killing all five on board minutes before landing at Baramati Airport in Maharashtra. This marks the second major accident for VSR Aviation in recent years, following the September 2023 crash of another Learjet 45 at Mumbai airport.
Amid calls for a probe, VK Singh - the owner of the Delhi-based private company - has asserted that the aircraft was "very well maintained" and there was "absolutely no problem" with its condition.
"There was no technical failure in the aircraft," Singh said.
The company operated seven Learjets. When asked if the company was planning to ground the remaining fleet, Singh gave a categorical no.
'It Was A Fit Aircraft'
"Why should I ground them? They are all fit aircraft. Why should I ground them? That's not my decision," he said.
Singh also highlighted that Learjet is considered a "very, very dependable aircraft" worldwide. "So, why should we ground them?"
Learjet - creation of US inventor Bill Lear - was modelled on a Swiss fighter aircraft and allows up to eight people. The brand was acquired by Canadian manufacturer Bombardier in 1990. Once shorthand for the luxury jet travel of the super rich - production of the Learjet ended in 2021 after Bombardier decided to focus on its Global and Challenger series.
In Tuesday's accident, the mid-size business jet aircraft went off the runway while attempting to land and burst into flames. Ajit Pawar is survived by his wife, Sunetra, and two sons, Parth and Jay.
Ajit Pawar's personal security officer, Vidip Jadhav; two pilots - Sumit Kapur and Shambhavi Pathak; and a flight attendant, Pinki Mali, also died in the crash.
Pathak was serving as First Officer, flying the plane alongside Captain Kapur.
VK Singh noted that the captain was a seasoned pilot with "more than 16,000 hours" of experience, and the co-pilot also had "1500 hours of experience".
"He (Kapur) was very experienced on this type of airplane," he said.
Preliminary reports indicate the aircraft initiated a go-around during its first approach to Runway 11 due to low visibility (reported at 3,000 meters).
On the second attempt, the crew confirmed the runway was in sight but failed to provide a readback of the final landing clearance at 08:43 am.
Emergency services spotted flames near the threshold of Runway 11, just one minute after the last clearance. The wreckage was found on the left side of the runway.
The aircraft, manufactured in 2010, held a valid Airworthiness Review Certificate (ARC) until September 2026.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has officially taken over the current probe.
The previous VSR Aviation incident occurred on September 14, 2023, when another Learjet crashed while landing at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport amid heavy rain and poor visibility.
"Even during the 2023 incident, it was raining, and there was low visibility," Singh said.
Union Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said visibility was poor when the aircraft was about to land in Baramati. Pawar had been travelling from Mumbai to Baramati to attend a series of public events.
