Government details sequence of events before Ajit Pawar's plane crash
What's the story
A private jet carrying Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar crashed near Baramati airport on Wednesday. The crash killed all five people. According to the government, Baramati is an uncontrolled airfield, and traffic information is provided by the instructors/pilots from flying training organizations at Baramati. As per the statement of the person manning the ATC, the Learjet 45, registered as VT-SSK and owned by VSR Ventures Pvt Ltd, took off from Mumbai at 8:10am and contacted Baramati airport at 8:18am.
Flight details
Pilot's final approach and go-around
The next transmission occurred while the aircraft was 30 nautical miles inbound. The crew was advised to descend in visual meteorological conditions at the pilot's discretion. During this phase, the pilots inquired about the winds and visibility, and they were told that the winds were calm and visibility was around 3,000 meters, conditions that typically would not raise immediate alarm.
Landing
'Runway is currently not in sight'
As the airplane approached Runway 11, the crew reported that the runway was not visible. A first landing attempt was aborted, and the pilots initiated a go-around. After the go-around, the aircraft was again asked to report its position. The crew reported that they were once again on final approach for Runway 11. They were then asked to report the runway in sight, to which they replied, "Runway is currently not in sight, will call when runway is in sight."
Crash details
Plane goes silent before crash
The aircraft was cleared to land on runway 11 at 8:43am. However, the pilot did not give a readback of landing clearance, which is standard protocol. Next, the ATC saw the flames around the threshold of runway 11 at 8:44am, the government said. The emergency services then rushed to the crash site. The wreckage was found on the left side of the runway with fire and smoke visible. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has now taken over the investigation.