Mumbai: Investigators examining the fatal plane crash that killed Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others near Baramati Airport on Wednesday are focusing on the aircraft’s final moments, particularly the cockpit voice recording that revealed no distress call was made before the aircraft impacted the ground.
The chartered flight, carrying Ajit Pawar, his personal security officer HC Vidip Jadhav, pilot Captain Sumit Kapoor, co-pilot Captain Shambhavi Pathak, and flight attendant Pinky Mali, departed from Mumbai at 8:10 a.m. and attempted to land at Baramati shortly after 8:30 a.m. amid dense morning fog.
Preliminary findings show that poor visibility forced the pilots to abort their first landing attempt on Runway 11. On the second approach, the aircraft lost stability and crashed approximately 100 feet short of the runway, killing all five passengers and crew on site.
Sources familiar with the cockpit voice recorder, as reported by Dainik Jagran, told investigators that no Mayday distress call was issued by Captain Kapoor. The last audible words were spoken by co-pilot Captain Pathak, captured as “Oh sht… oh sht,” moments before the impact, suggesting a sudden and critical loss of control.
CCTV footage from around the airport perimeter showed the aircraft descending sharply, overturning, and striking the ground, followed by a large explosion. Eyewitnesses reported multiple blasts and thick black smoke rising from the crash site, with debris scattered across nearby fields and homes.
Officials involved in the investigation said that while dense fog and low visibility were major contributing factors, technical issues and human factors will also be scrutinised as part of the probe. “Weather conditions were challenging, but the absence of a distress call suggests events unfolded extremely quickly,” an official said.
Ajit Pawar was travelling to Baramati to address a public rally ahead of the Maharashtra Panchayat elections. His death, along with the loss of four others, has prompted widespread mourning and raised urgent questions about flight safety protocols during low-visibility operations at regional airports.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has taken over the official inquiry, and a detailed investigation report is expected in the coming weeks.
