Ajit Pawar Plane Crash: Aircraft Was Attempting Second Landing Approach
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP chief Ajit Pawar died in a tragic plane crash on Wednesday morning after the aircraft he was travelling in went down while attempting a second approach to Baramati Airport in Pune district. Four other people on board were also killed in the accident, officials confirmed.
Flight tracking website Flightradar24 showed that the aircraft, a Learjet 45 operated by private company VSR Ventures, was making a second landing attempt when it crashed at around 8.45 am. Officials said the plane reportedly lost control during the landing manoeuvre and burst into flames immediately after impact.
An eyewitness described the terrifying moments leading up to the crash, saying the aircraft came down around 100 feet before the runway. “When the aircraft descended, it seemed it would crash, and it did. It then exploded and burst into a massive fire. 4-5 more explosions followed,” the eyewitness said. He added that residents rushed to the crash site in an attempt to help. “People came and tried to pull out passengers from the aircraft. Due to the huge fire, they could not help,” he said.
Visuals from the spot showed thick smoke and flames engulfing the wreckage as emergency teams reached the area. Firefighters and local authorities later secured the site and began preliminary assessments.
A senior official from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) confirmed that there were five people on board the aircraft. These included Ajit Pawar, his personal security officer, an attendant, and two crew members the pilot in command and the first officer. The DGCA has ordered a detailed investigation to determine the exact cause of the crash.
Ajit Pawar had taken off from Mumbai at around 8 am and was scheduled to attend and address four election rallies in Baramati, his political stronghold, ahead of the local body polls. The news of his death has sent shockwaves across Maharashtra, with political leaders across party lines expressing grief and condolences.
Born on July 22, 1959, in Deolali Pravara village of Ahmednagar district, Ajit Pawar was drawn into public life at an early age. His father, Anantrao Pawar, worked at the iconic Rajkamal Studios in Mumbai. Ajit Pawar’s formal education was cut short following his father’s death, and he completed his studies up to the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) level under the Maharashtra State Board.
He began his political journey in the early 1980s, inspired by his uncle Sharad Pawar, who was already a prominent Congress leader at the time. In 1982, at just 23 years of age, Ajit Pawar was elected to the board of a cooperative sugar factory a move that marked the beginning of a long and influential political career in Maharashtra.
Ajit Pawar is survived by his wife Sunetra Pawar, daughter of former Maharashtra minister Padamsinh Bajirao Patil, and their two sons, Jay Pawar and Parth Pawar.
Flight tracking website Flightradar24 showed that the aircraft, a Learjet 45 operated by private company VSR Ventures, was making a second landing attempt when it crashed at around 8.45 am. Officials said the plane reportedly lost control during the landing manoeuvre and burst into flames immediately after impact.
An eyewitness described the terrifying moments leading up to the crash, saying the aircraft came down around 100 feet before the runway. “When the aircraft descended, it seemed it would crash, and it did. It then exploded and burst into a massive fire. 4-5 more explosions followed,” the eyewitness said. He added that residents rushed to the crash site in an attempt to help. “People came and tried to pull out passengers from the aircraft. Due to the huge fire, they could not help,” he said.
Visuals from the spot showed thick smoke and flames engulfing the wreckage as emergency teams reached the area. Firefighters and local authorities later secured the site and began preliminary assessments.
A senior official from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) confirmed that there were five people on board the aircraft. These included Ajit Pawar, his personal security officer, an attendant, and two crew members the pilot in command and the first officer. The DGCA has ordered a detailed investigation to determine the exact cause of the crash.
Ajit Pawar had taken off from Mumbai at around 8 am and was scheduled to attend and address four election rallies in Baramati, his political stronghold, ahead of the local body polls. The news of his death has sent shockwaves across Maharashtra, with political leaders across party lines expressing grief and condolences.
Born on July 22, 1959, in Deolali Pravara village of Ahmednagar district, Ajit Pawar was drawn into public life at an early age. His father, Anantrao Pawar, worked at the iconic Rajkamal Studios in Mumbai. Ajit Pawar’s formal education was cut short following his father’s death, and he completed his studies up to the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) level under the Maharashtra State Board.
He began his political journey in the early 1980s, inspired by his uncle Sharad Pawar, who was already a prominent Congress leader at the time. In 1982, at just 23 years of age, Ajit Pawar was elected to the board of a cooperative sugar factory a move that marked the beginning of a long and influential political career in Maharashtra.
Ajit Pawar is survived by his wife Sunetra Pawar, daughter of former Maharashtra minister Padamsinh Bajirao Patil, and their two sons, Jay Pawar and Parth Pawar.
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