DGCA official reveals final words from Ajit Pawar's plane cockpit
What's the story
A tragic plane crash in Maharashtra's Baramati on Wednesday killed five people, including Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. The Learjet 45 aircraft, operated by VSR Ventures Pvt Ltd, was attempting to land at the table-top airstrip when it crashed. According to a senior official of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the crew's "last words were 'oh s***.'"
Investigation progress
Crash investigation underway, crew's last words revealed
The crash also claimed the lives of Pawar's personal security officer and attendant, along with pilot-in-command Sumit Kapur and first officer Shambhavi Pathak. On Thursday, the Maharashtra police registered an accidental death report (ADR) at the Baramati taluka police station. The ADR will be transferred to the Maharashtra Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which will conduct a parallel probe based on findings from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).
Pre-crash analysis
Weather conditions and final approach details
On Wednesday, the Civil Aviation Ministry detailed the events leading to the crash. At 8:18am the aircraft VT-SSK contacted Baramati airport. Kapur, with over 15,000 flying hours, and Pathak, with around 1,500 hours of experience, were briefed on weather conditions. They were advised to land at their discretion based on visibility conditions, which were around three kilometers, adequate for landing.
Crash details
Go-around procedure initiated, no readback of landing clearance
The aircraft reported its final approach to Runway 11 but the pilot said that the runway was "not in sight." They were then instructed to initiate a go-around, a standard procedure when landing cannot be completed safely. After confirming their position again, they reported final approach once more and were cleared to land at 8:43am. However, there was no readback from the pilot.
Crash aftermath
Flames spotted near runway threshold, crash occurs
At 8:44am Air Traffic Control noticed flames near the threshold of Runway 11. The Learjet 45 crashed significantly short of the runway but within the airstrip perimeter. The funeral of Pawar will take place on Thursday in Baramati with full state honors at 11:00am local time. The Maharashtra government has declared a three-day state mourning period during which flags will fly at half-mast on all government buildings across the state.