Ajit Pawar’s jet cleared to land at 8:43 am, crashed a minute later: Govt

Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar’s aircraft was cleared for landing at Baramati airport at 8:43 am and crashed a minute later, the government said on Wednesday, outlining critical details of the final moments before the fatal accident that killed all five persons on board.

According to officials, the Learjet 45 was attempting to land at Baramati, an uncontrolled airfield, when the crew faced difficulty spotting the runway. During the first approach, the pilots reported that the runway was not visible and initiated a go-around, before attempting a second landing.

On the second approach, the crew again indicated that the runway was not in sight and later stated that it had become visible. The aircraft was then cleared to land on Runway 11 at 8:43 am. However, officials said no readback of the landing clearance was received from the cockpit, and no mayday call was issued.

Moments later, flames were seen near the threshold of the runway. The aircraft crashed on the left side of Runway 11 at around 8:44 am, resulting in a fire and the death of Ajit Pawar, two crew members and two other passengers.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau has taken over the probe into the crash. Authorities said the investigation will examine flight data, communication records and operating conditions to determine the exact sequence of events that led to the accident.