Ajit Pawar plane crash: Aircraft was 100% safe, crew fairly experienced, says VSR Aviation that owned the aircraft

VSR Aviation that owned the Learjet 45 (LJ45), carrying Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four other persons, said the aircraft was safe and that the pilots were experienced. The plane that took off from Mumbai at 8:10 am and disappeared from the radar around 8:45 am, crashed in Pune district, killing all the crew and passengers onboard.

The aviation company’s top official VK Singh told Aaj Tak that the aircraft was 100 per cent safe, and the crew was fairly experienced. It said that the crash could have been due to poor visibility, and that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) would probe the matter.

VSR Aviation confirmed that the pilots on board, who have also died, were Sumit Kapoor and Sambhavi Pathak.

Meanwhile, in its statement, DGCA confirmed that the aircraft crashed landed at Baramati, and the plane had two personnel, including one PSO and an attendant for Ajit Pawar, apart from the crew.

Pawar was headed to Baramati to address four public meetings ahead of the Zilla Parishad elections. Baramati airport manager Shivaji Taware told Hindustan Times that the aircraft attempted landing before it went off the side of the runway and crashed.

Moreover, a source told news agency PTI that the aircraft pilot had mentioned poor visibility near the runway before attempting the landing.

Pawar is survived by wife Sunetra, a member of Rajya Sabha and two sons, Parth and Jay.