Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar killed in plane crash

NEW DELHI: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and a powerful figure in state politics, Ajit Pawar (66), died in a tragic plane crash on Wednesday morning. Ajit Pawar, who rose through the ranks of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by his uncle Sharad Pawar and later split the party to join the NDA, was at the peak of his political career at the time of his death.

The Learjet 45XR charter aircraft, which took off from Mumbai for Baramati, crashed and caught fire with a loud explosion while attempting to land at the Baramati airstrip. All five people on board, including the Deputy Chief Minister, died on the spot. The other victims were Personal Security Officer Vidip Jadhav, aircraft attendant Pinky Mali, pilot Sumit Kapoor, and co-pilot Sambhavi Pathak.

The first landing attempt failed as the runway was not visible. The second attempt at 8.44 am ended in disaster. Ajit Pawar’s wife, Sunetra Pawar, a Rajya Sabha MP, was in Delhi at the time. His sons are Parth Pawar and Jay Pawar.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau have begun an investigation. The aircraft’s black box has been recovered.

The last rites will be held today in Baramati with full state honours. The ceremony will take place at Vidya Pratishthan Ground at 11 am. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and other leaders are expected to attend.

Key timeline
08:10 am: Aircraft departed from Mumbai

08:18 am: Communication established with Baramati airstrip

'3000 meters: visibility limit,' came the announcement from the tower. Landing clearance was given.

First landing attempt aborted as the runway was not visible. Aircraft circled the area for 25 minutes

08:43 am: Clearance given again; no response from cockpit

08:44 am: Aircraft crashed near the left side of Runway 11 and exploded

Was weather the cause?
Poor visibility due to fog, along with possible errors in the pilots’ judgment during landing, is suspected to have caused the crash. There are concerns over whether standard safety protocols were properly followed. The aircraft should have descended at a three-degree glide slope at a rate of approximately 300 feet per minute. During descent, a minimum visibility of 5,000 metres is required; however, visibility at the time was only 3,000 metres.

Questions that need answers

• Did the pilots send a Mayday distress message?
• Why was there no response from the pilots after the second landing clearance?
• Was there an error in handling the aircraft?
• Were there communication failures with the advisory tower?

The plane crash took place at a time when there were speculations that Ajit Pawar was planning to leave the NDA. Therefore, the Supreme Court should oversee an investigation into whether the aircraft accident was a deliberate act.
-Mamata Banerjee
West Bengal Chief Minister