The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on Saturday (February 28) said that the Learjet 45XR aircraft carrying former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, which crashed on January 28, attempted to land at Baramati Airport despite encountering visibility conditions that fell significantly short of the legal requirements.
“During the approach, the Baramati tower—manned by a ground instructor from a local flight school using a handheld radio—informed the crew that visibility was only 3,000 meters,” the AAIB said in its preliminary report on the accident.
Satellite imagery later confirmed the presence of “very shallow fog in patches” over Baramati at the time of the accident, the AAIB added.
Following the preliminary investigation, AAIB has issued interim safety recommendations to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
The report states it is “recommended that DGCA may issue necessary directions to all operators operating VFR (Visual Flight Rules) flights to uncontrolled airfields to strictly adhere to the laid down standard operating procedures”.
Furthermore, the AAIB suggested that the DGCA “enhance the landing aids along with basic MET (meteorological) facility at these airports” to accommodate the increasing number of non-scheduled and VIP flights.
Infrastructure Decay
As part of the investigation, the AAIB also found that the last time the runway was re-carpetted at Baramati Airport was in 2016. This has resulted in faded runway markings and loose gravel on the surface. Additionally, the airfield is lacking a boundary wall and has minimal navigational aids, with wind socks located only at one end of the runway.
There is no on-site Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) unit, and emergency services can only be accessed upon request from the local municipal corporation, the AAIB said in its report.
Final Moments
The investigation agency, in its report, found that the flight sequence involved an initial landing attempt followed by a go-around. During the second approach to runway 11, the crew reported the field was in sight and received landing clearance.
Moments later, the cockpit voice recorder captured a crew member transmitting, “Oh St Oh St…”, before the aircraft banked right and impacted trees. The aircraft struck the ground approximately 50 meters to the left of the runway threshold, where it was destroyed by a post-impact fire.
The accident involving aircraft VT-SSK, operated by M/s VSR Ventures, resulted in five fatalities, including two cockpit crew members, one cabin attendant, and two passengers.
The investigation also highlighted significant infrastructure deficiencies at Baramati Airport, an uncontrolled airfield managed by the Maharashtra Airport Development Co.
The investigation is ongoing, with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) of the USA assisting in downloading data from the thermally damaged cockpit voice recorder. The AAIB has seized all documents on the aircraft’s airworthiness and operations for further scrutiny.