A Learjet 45 aircraft carrying Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar crashed during an emergency landing at Baramati Airport on Wednesday morning around 8:45 am. The chartered flight had departed from Mumbai nearly one hour before the incident occurred.
Authorities have not yet released a detailed explanation of what caused the plane to crash, but aviation experts and officials say that a technical malfunction during landing procedures remains a strong possibility. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation is expected to launch a formal investigation to determine the exact cause.
Who was Ajit Pawar?
Pawar held the record as Maharashtra’s longest-serving Deputy Chief Minister across non-consecutive terms. He served under four different chief ministers: Prithviraj Chavan, Devendra Fadnavis, Uddhav Thackeray, and Eknath Shinde.
His political career began in 1991 when he won his first Lok Sabha election from Baramati. He later vacated the parliamentary seat for his uncle, Sharad Pawar. Ajit Pawar won seven consecutive Maharashtra Legislative Assembly elections from Baramati, starting with a 1991 by-election and continuing through 2014.
In November 2019, Pawar split from the NCP and joined a Bharatiya Janata Party-led government as Deputy Chief Minister. The move shocked Maharashtra’s political establishment and created a lasting divide within the party.
Where & When Did Incident Occur?
The crash took place at Baramati Airport in Maharashtra’s Pune district around 9 am on Tuesday morning. Pawar was traveling from Mumbai to his home constituency of Baramati to attend public meetings related to ongoing Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections.
Visuals from the crash site showed fire and smoke, with mangled aircraft remains scattered across the area. Local residents rushed to assist emergency responders at the scene. Police, emergency services, and aviation officials quickly secured the site.
Why Did the Plane Crash?
Authorities have not yet released a detailed explanation of what caused the plane to crash, but aviation experts and officials say that a technical malfunction during landing procedures remains a strong possibility as per the report of The Sunday Guardian. The information regarding the extent of injuries and the exact cause of the crash, whether a technical failure or weather-related, is still being confirmed by official government statements
According to Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives, common contributing factors in Learjet 45 accidents include excessive approach speed, incomplete pre-landing checklists, incorrect flap settings, and failure to execute go-arounds during unstable approaches. Runway excursions often occur when crews do not recognize the requirement to abort landing due to excessive speed or long touchdown points on wet runways.
This marks the second aviation incident connected to the NCP leadership in recent months. In October 2024, a helicopter meant to pick up party colleague Sunil Tatkare crashed in Pune. The region has experienced several emergency landings previously due to adverse weather conditions.
Support us to keep independent environmental journalism alive in India.
Keep Reading
Small Wild Cats in Big Trouble: Indiaโs First National Report Released
After Tragedy, Families Face Delays in Tiger Attack Compensation
Stay connected with Ground Report for underreported environmental stories.
