Ajit Pawar crash: Black box recovered, will be sent abroad
The black box from the Learjet that crashed near Baramati on January 28—claiming the lives of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others—has been recovered.
Authorities might send it abroad for analysis to help figure out what went wrong.
The aviation regulator's investigation is expected to take 10 to 15 days.
Learjet was on way to Pune for election meetings
The plane was headed from Mumbai for election meetings but had trouble landing after the crew aborted the first approach when the runway was not in sight, with visibility reported at about 3,000-3,500 meters.
On its second landing attempt, it lost control, veered off the runway, and burst into flames, with witnesses reporting multiple explosions.
Ajit Pawar, a senior leader from Baramati and a big name in state politics, was widely respected across party lines.
His passing has led to three days of official mourning in Maharashtra, with Chief Minister Fadnavis declaring three days of mourning and Prime Minister Modi expressing his condolences on X.