A shocking piece of news has shaken Maharashtra politics. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP President Ajit Pawar died in a plane crash on Wednesday morning. His private plane, en route from Mumbai to Baramati, crashed in Pune district, killing a total of five people, including Ajit Pawar.
The accident was so severe that the plane caught fire, and the bodies were badly burned. According to an NDTV report, Ajit Pawar's body was identified by the watch he was wearing on his wrist. Coincidentally, the NCP's election symbol is also a 'watch,' which has led to emotional discussions in political circles.
Which aircraft was involved in the accident?
The aircraft involved in the accident was a Learjet-46, operated by VSR Ventures, a company based in Delhi. The plane departed from Mumbai at around 8:10 AM and was scheduled to land at Baramati Airport approximately 35 minutes later.
At around 8:45 AM, the plane attempted a crash landing. During the landing, the aircraft lost control and crashed near the runway. The plane caught fire upon impact, leaving no chance for survival.
All five people on board died.
Besides Ajit Pawar, his PSO, an assistant, and two crew members – the pilot in command and the first officer – also died in the accident. All the bodies have been sent for post-mortem examination, and the families have been informed.
Ajit Pawar was 66 years old and was traveling to Baramati for campaigning ahead of the local body elections scheduled for February 5th. He was scheduled to address several public meetings there. His untimely death has sent a wave of grief through the state's politics.
How did the accident happen?
The Ministry of Civil Aviation has issued an official statement regarding the sequence of events leading to the accident. According to the ministry, the aircraft made its first contact with Baramati at 8:18 AM. It then reported being 30 nautical miles away and was released by Pune Approach control. The pilot was advised to descend at his discretion under visual meteorological conditions. The crew requested information on wind and visibility, and was told that the wind was calm and visibility was approximately 3,000 meters.
Runway not visible on first landing attempt
The aircraft reported making its final approach to Runway 11, but the pilot reported that the runway was not visible. A go-around was then initiated on the first attempt. After the go-around, ATC inquired about the aircraft's position.
The crew again reported making a final approach to Runway 11. When asked if the runway was visible, they initially said it was not, but a few seconds later confirmed that the runway was now in sight.
The accident occurred after landing clearance.
At 8:43 AM, ATC cleared the aircraft to land on Runway 11. However, the crew did not provide a "readback" of this landing clearance. A readback is a crucial safety procedure in which the pilot repeats and confirms the ATC instructions.
Exactly one minute later, at 8:44 AM, ATC observed flames near the threshold of Runway 11. Emergency services were then activated, but it was too late.
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