In a shocking aviation tragedy, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar perished along with four others when their charter jet crashed and burst into flames during landing at Baramati Airport on Wednesday morning. The Learjet-45, registered as VT-SSK, was en route from Mumbai to Baramati where Pawar was scheduled to address four public rallies ahead of local body elections.
The aircraft, operated by Delhi-based VSR Ventures Private Limited under a non-scheduled operator permit issued in 2014 and valid until April 2028, carried a fleet of 17 planes including Learjet-45s, Embraer 135BJs, King Air B200s, and Pilatus PC-12s. A DGCA audit in February 2025 found no major lapses, though another Learjet-45 from the same firm had a landing incident in Mumbai in 2023, with investigations still ongoing.
All five aboard—Pawar, his personal security officer Vidip Jadhav, attendant Pinki Mali, pilot-in-command Sumit Kapoor with over 15,000 flying hours, and co-pilot Shambhavi Pathak with about 1,500 hours—lost their lives. Both pilots held valid medicals and recent instrument rating checks.
Baramati, an uncontrolled airfield, relies on flying training instructors or pilots for traffic info. After departing Mumbai and getting Pune approach clearance, the crew attempted a visual landing in calm winds and 3 km visibility. They reported final approach on Runway 11 but went around on the first try as the runway wasn’t visible. On the second attempt, they confirmed sighting it, received landing clearance at 8:43 AM without readback, and moments later, ATC spotted flames near the runway threshold. The jet veered left, crashed beyond it, and exploded.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has seized control of the probe, dispatching a team from Delhi to the site via Pune. DGCA officials are on scene, and black boxes—flight data and cockpit voice recorders—will be key to unraveling the cause. This devastating loss sends ripples through Maharashtra politics as questions mount over aviation safety in private charters.