Baramati, Maharashtra: “I saw it with my own eyes, and this is really painful,” an eyewitness standing near Baramati Airport described on Wednesday morning moments after a private aircraft carrying Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar crashed and erupted into flames. The witness, in an interview to Hindustan Times, said the aircraft appeared unstable as it descended toward the runway and fell roughly 100 feet before impact. Immediately on hitting the ground, the jet burst into a massive fireball, followed by four to five loud explosions, spraying debris and igniting fierce flames that prevented rescuers and locals from reaching the wreckage.
Locals rushed toward the crash site in a desperate bid to help those aboard, but the intense, rapidly spreading fire made it impossible to reach the victims. “Many people tried to pull people out, but the fire was too strong,” the eyewitness said, visibly shaken.
The small charter plane was a Learjet 45 (registration VT-SSK), chartered from Mumbai and operated by VSR Aviation, on a flight from Mumbai to Baramati, Pawar’s home town. It was attempting to land in the early hours of the morning when it lost control and struck the ground beside the runway.
The jet took off from Mumbai around 8.10 am and was en-route to Baramati. Pawar was scheduled to address four election rallies ahead of the 5 February local body polls at Baramati. The flight disappeared from radar around 8.45 am and crashed near the airport at about 8.50, reported Hindustan Times.
VT SSK, was allegedly making a second landing attempt at Baramati airport before it crashed, exploded and killed all five persons on board.
What flight tracking data says?
Flight tracking data indicated that the jet had circled the area before attempting the second landing, suggesting difficulties in aligning with the runway amid adverse conditions, according to Hindustan Times.
Casualties
Ajit Pawar, 66, Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief
His personal security officer (PSO)
Two crew members — the pilot in command and the first officer.
There were no survivors, and emergency services could only contain the fire after it raged for several minutes.
The death of Ajit Pawar — a senior and long-standing political leader in Maharashtra — has sent shockwaves across the state and the country. Pawar had just attended a Cabinet meeting in Mumbai and was en route home for local election engagements when the accident occurred.
State authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the crash. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is leading the preliminary probe to determine what went wrong during the critical landing phase.
Mourning has begun across political lines, with leaders expressing grief and condolences at the sudden loss of a seasoned administrator. A period of state mourning is expected as details continue to emerge.
