Ajit Pawar, 4 others killed in plane crash in Baramati: What we know so far

A plane carrying NCP leader and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar crashed on Wednesday morning while attempting to land at Baramati airport in Maharashtra. Pawar and four others died in the fatal crash which happened as the chartered aircraft was attempting an emergency landing at Baramati airport.

The two pilots and Ajit's two security personnel also died in the crash. Visuals from the crash site showed wreckage scattered across the area, with flames and thick smoke billowing from the aircraft. Pawar was travelling in a privately operated chartered plane, which had four other passengers on board.

The remains of Ajit Pawar were shifted from the hospital to the cremation ground in late evening, allowing citizens and supporters to pay their final respects.

The cremation procession is scheduled to begin on Thursday at 9 am. Following the procession, the last rites and cremation will be performed at 11 am at the Vidya Pratishthan ground in Baramati.

NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule and Ajit Pawar’s wife, Rajya Sabha MP Sunetra Pawar, broke down while meeting members of the Pawar family in Baramati, amid a sea of people who gathered to bid a tearful farewell to their beloved 'Dada.'

WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR

• Ajit Pawar was heading to Baramati to address four public meetings ahead of the Zilla Parishad elections when the aircraft, a Learjet 45, which was chartered from Mumbai, crashed.
• The entire aircraft was reduced to ashes, with visuals showing it completely shattered and debris scattered all around. Initial visuals showed a massive blaze and smoke billowing from the area in Baramati.
• The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has confirmed that Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar is no more after his plane crashed in Maharashtra's Baramati earlier this morning.
• The accident occurred as the aircraft was attempting to land at Baramati airport. The cause of the crash and the exact condition of the 66-year-old leader are yet to be ascertained.
• Initial information indicates the jet faced difficulties during the landing phase, though the exact sequence of events is still under verification, as airport staff and emergency responders reached the site soon after the impact to find the aircraft destroyed with no signs of survival.

• The aircraft carrying the Pawar was a Bombardier Learjet 45 business jet, operated by VSR Ventures Pvt. Ltd. and registered as VT-SSK. It was 16 years old. The twin-engine light jet is commonly used for corporate and VIP travel and is suited for short and medium sectors, including regional airports like Baramati.
• Flightradar data shows the Bombardier Learjet 45 (VT-SSK) took off from Mumbai at 8.10 am, made an unsuccessful landing attempt at Baramati around 8.30 am, likely due to poor visibility, attempted a second approach at about 8.42 am, and disappeared from radar around 8.45 am before crashing in a ball of fire near the threshold of runway 11.

• Owner of VSR Aviation VK Singh, while speaking to India Today TV, said the aircraft was “100% safe” and flown by an experienced crew and confirmed that pilots Sumit Kapoor and Sambhavi Pathak were killed in the crash.
• Visibility at Baramati airport was low, and lacking a night-landing facility, the jet carrying Ajit Pawar crashed while attempting to land in dense fog with around 800 meters visibility. The bodies were unrecognisable after the crash and Pawar was later identified by his watch.
• Pawar had attended a Cabinet meeting in Mumbai on Tuesday and was en route to Baramati for a series of meetings related to the upcoming civic elections in Pune.
• Meanwhile, Baramati MP and Ajit's cousin, Supriya Sule left for Maharashtra from Delhi, where she was to attend the Parliament Budget session. Sunetra Pawar, Ajit's wife, and Parth Pawar, his son, have also left for Baramati.
• The Maharashtra government has announced a three-day state mourning in respect of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar after he was killed in a plane crash.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah both contacted Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadanvis and received information and updates about the Baramati plane crash.
• PM Modi expressed grief over the death of Ajit Pawar, describing him in a post on X as “a leader of the people” with a strong grassroots connect and widely respected for his dedication to serving Maharashtra. Calling Pawar’s death “very shocking and saddening”, the Prime Minister said his deep understanding of administrative matters.
• Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis described Ajit Pawar’s death as a “great loss to Maharashtra,” saying such leadership takes years to develop, and called the incident “tragic and shocking,” noting Pawar’s significant contributions to the state’s development and expressing that his passing is both a personal loss and a blow to his family and the entire state.
• Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi broke down during a television interview, calling the tragedy “heart-rending”, “extremely painful”, and “a huge loss for the state”, as she said Pawar had bright ideas and worked relentlessly for Maharashtra’s progress, noting that his dedication to public life was evident in his daily routine.
• West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee demanded a Supreme Court-monitored investigation into the plane crash in Baramati that killed Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, suggesting the possibility of foul play and questioning the safety of political leaders in the country.
• Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu met members of Ajit Pawar’s bereaved family at Delhi's IGI Airport as they departed for Pune on a special aircraft, with Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol also present, sources said.
• The authorities have revealed that Ajit Pawar's aircraft was cleared to land on runway 11 of the Baramati airport. However, there was no readback by the crew, the government said. The next thing the Air Traffic Control (ATC) saw were flames, it added.
• The crash was captured on a nearby CCTV camera, with its footage showing the aircraft crashing on the ground behind a small shop. Just seconds later, a huge ball of fire is seen emerging in the background.
• The government has informed that flames were spotted by the ATC at 8:44 am, after the flight was cleared to land on Runway 11 at 8:43 am.
• The pilot, who is familiar with the tabletop runway in Baramati, pointed to a potentially unstable final approach, known as the "short finals phase", as a possible reason behind the crash. A tabletop runway is where one or both of its ends overlook a drop, making landing even more challenging.
• Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said about the crash-landing incident in Baramati, "Since the incident occurred this morning, the DGCA and AAIB have been alerted and their officials have been asked to reach the site. The local police have also been informed to cordon off the area so that the conditions required for the investigation can be ensured."