- Video allegedly from Baramati crash site surfaced but authenticity unverified
- Ajit Pawar and four others died in Learjet 45 crash near Baramati on January 28
- Aircraft black box recovered and is under analysis by Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau
A video has surfaced on social media, with claims that it was from the crash site of a small plane in Maharashtra's Baramati where Ajit Pawar and four others died on January 28.
NDTV could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.
In the video claimed to be from the site where the Learjet 45 operated by Delhi-based VSR Ventures crashed, some people are heard shouting and pointing at burning debris.
Toward the end of the 12-second video, a loud sound like an explosion came from the debris and the camera moved away. Some people were heard screaming.
The formal investigation into the crash is still going on.
Ajit Pawar, 66, was a key leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). The others who died in the crash were his personal security officer and attendant, and two cockpit crew, pilot-in-command Sumit Kapur and first officer Shambhavi Pathak.
Investigators have recovered the black box of the aircraft. The black box comprises the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder. It is being analysed to determine the cause of the accident.
A specialised team from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) had visited the crash site before it began a forensic investigation.
The aircraft crashed while attempting a second approach to Baramati airport.
Uncontrolled Airstrips
The Ministry of Civil Aviation has started a programme to inspect uncontrolled airstrips across the country. The idea is to implement a set of protocols for operations in these uncontrolled airstrips.
A monitoring mechanism will also be formulated which will be jointly managed by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and respective states.
For now the plan is at an early stage. These uncontrolled airfields are used by flight training organisations as well as private charter aircraft and VIPs. They have no full-time air traffic control systems, navigation aids and are mostly managed by flight training organisations, private operators and state governments.
The inspection of the 400 uncontrolled airstrips will map infrastructure gaps as well as emergency services such as firefighting at these airstrips. The move comes in to avoid and remove regulatory gaps in overseeing and monitoring these airfields.
NDTV did an exclusive report on how the Baramati crash put the spotlight on uncontrolled airfields, tracking nine accidents that have taken place at, or in the immediate vicinity of, uncontrolled airfields, investigated by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau since 2013.
While investigators cite different accident-specific causes in each case, the reports do mention missing air traffic services, lack of local weather assessment, inadequate surveillance, and absence of basic navigational aids at these airfields.
