Ajit Pawar Plane Tragedy: Low Visibility, Technical Malfunction Behind Baramati Crash, Says Initial Report

New Delhi: The initial investigation report into the tragic plane crash that claimed the life of former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar and four others on January 28 has identified two primary areas of concern- the decision to attempt landing despite low visibility on the runway and a potential technical malfunction.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), which is leading the high-level probe, released these preliminary findings as it began the critical process of decoding the aircraft’s flight recorders.

What CCTV shows

CCTV footage reportedly shows the plane appearing unstable and descending sharply before overturning near the runway threshold. Furthermore, initial findings from the cockpit voice recording revealed that the pilots' last words before the crash were "Oh shit."

DGCA sources said that additional voices from the CVR include screaming, but as of now, analysis of the black box shows there was no Mayday or distress call made by the pilots to ATC (Air Traffic Control). 

Black Box Data Recovery Initiated

The black box of the ill-fated aircraft, which crashed in Baramati, was recovered an January 28 and had been transported to the AAIB lab in Delhi. Specialists had officially began the data recovery process, which provided a second-by-second account of the engine performance, altitude, and the final conversations between Captain Sumit Kapur and Co-pilot Shambhavi Pathak.

Timeline for Final Report

The Ministry of Civil Aviation, meanwhile, had assured a transparent and time-bound inquiry. In a post on X, the Ministry noted, "Ensuring a thorough, transparent, and time-bound inquiry remains a top priority".

While this preliminary report, meanwhile,  provides a framework of the accident, the full investigation report will only be released once the data recovery is fully complete.

What happened on January 28

Ajit 'Dada' Pawar died on January 28 in a plane crash at Baramati airport, leaving behind a long career of ups and downs in politics. He was headed to Baramati to attend a public rally for the Zilla Parishad Elections.

Maharashtra's longest-serving Deputy CM (non-consecutively, Pawar served in the position for six terms within various governments. He had worked as deputy chief minister in the cabinets of Prithviraj Chavan, Devendra Fadnavis, Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde.

In addition to making significant contributions to government administration, Pawar oversaw the management of various cooperative organisations, including Milk Unions and Federations and sugar factories.

Also Read: Upset Over Death Of Korean Insta Friend, Kerala Minor Ends Life, 3-page Suicide Note Under Scanner