Ajit Pawar plane crash: What happened in 26 minutes and 5 unanswered questions | India News
New Delhi: The final moments of the Learjet 45 carrying Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar were marked by repeated landing attempts and poor visibility, before the plane crashed and burst into flames near the runway threshold at Baramati.Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said preliminary data indicated poor visibility during landing. He said ATC asked the pilot if the runway was in sight, which the pilot initially said it was not. After circling, the aircraft returned for another landing attempt. The pilot then confirmed that the runway was visible, after which the aircraft was cleared to land. After some time the accident was reported.A Civil Aviation Ministry account of the timeline states that the aircraft first contacted Baramati ATC at 8.18am, reported on final approach to runway 11, the runway was not visible, and began to turn. The aircraft later reported sighting the runway and was cleared to land at 8.43am, but did not give a read-back. ATC then spotted fire around the threshold of runway 11 at 8.44am.According to the DGCA, the chartered plane flying from Mumbai crash-landed at the Baramati runway threshold at 8.45 am. Five people died including the crew. Along with Power, the aircraft had two personnel (a PSO and an attendant) and two crew members.The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has taken over the investigation. After Pawar’s death, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis declared a state holiday and three days of mourning.As investigators reconstruct the final approach, five key questions remain unanswered.1) What exactly happened after the final landing clearance?At 8.43 am the aircraft was cleared to land, but ATC received no read-back or acknowledgment from the pilot. The flames were noticed at 8.44 am and the crash-landing time of DGCA was around 8.45 am.This raises the question of whether there was a sudden system failure, control loss or cockpit emergency in the final seconds after landing clearance?2) Why attempt to land in poor visibility at an uncontrolled airfield?The Civil Aviation Minister said, preliminary information indicates poor visibility during landing. The crew first said the runway was not visible, then turned around and returned. Baramati is an uncontrolled airfield, where traffic information is shared by flying school instructors or pilots.Were the weather and airfield conditions suitable for a safe landing attempt, or should the aircraft have been turned around after the first missed approach?3) What is the reason for sudden radio silence after clearance?Until landing clearance, the crew was actively communicating: requesting wind/visibility updates and reporting runway viewing conditions. The response fell only after giving the final clearance.Was it communication failure, crew incapacitation, workload overload during an emergency or sudden electrical/avionics failure?4) Did the aircraft suffer mechanical or engine failure?The aircraft burst into flames at the runway threshold/edge. Regulatory records cited in the official statement say the plane had valid certification and a recent airworthiness review.Did the jet suffer engine failure, a bird strike, a fuel leak, an electrical fire, or a hard landing that triggered the ignition?5) Was the landing procedure stable and was standard procedure followed?The aircraft was advised to land under “visual meteorological conditions” at the pilot’s discretion.The crew first failed to see the runway, then reported seeing it shortly before clearance.Was the approach stable per SOP, or did the aircraft approach too high/too fast/too late to complete the landing safely?What will happen next?AAIB investigators will now retrieve and analyze flight data, cockpit voice recordings, aircraft maintenance records and airfield/weather logs in the moments after final approach reconstruction and landing clearance. Until these results are out, the cause of the crash remains a mystery.
