The Ministry of Civil Aviation on Tuesday (February 18) issued an official note on the aircraft that crashed on January 28 in Baramati, carrying Ajit Pawar, confirming that both the independent flight recorders sustained fire damage.
Technical Recovery
The ministry added that both flight recorders of the Learjet 45, registered as VT-SSK, were damaged by fire, adding that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is currently investigating the incident in detail, following the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, 2017, and adhering to the standards set by ICAO Annex 13.
“The aircraft was equipped with two independent flight recorders. Both recorders were exposed to intense heat for a prolonged period during the accident and sustained fire damage,” the note read.
It further added that the Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR), manufactured by L3-Communications, has been successfully downloaded at the AAIB Flight Recorder Laboratory.
“The Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR), manufactured by Honeywell, is undergoing detailed technical examination. Assistance has been sought from the Accredited Representative of the State of Manufacture for specialised support in data retrieval,” the note stated.
Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar died in a Learjet 45 (VT-SSK) plane crash along with the pilot, co-pilot, crew member, and security guard.
The 15-year-old Learjet 45, registered as VT-SSK and operated by VSR Ventures, was involved in an accident. The aircraft took off from Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport around 8:10 am but disappeared from radar approximately 35 minutes later, at around 8:45 am, according to flight tracking data.
Investigative Challenges
The flight’s route showed the aircraft making a loop to align with the runway at Baramati airport before it went down near the runway. The preliminary report from the government indicates that a plane crashed around 8:44 am.
According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), investigators should issue a preliminary report within 30 days of an air accident. However, Indian aviation experts point out that the country’s rules for investigating aircraft accidents do not require this timeline, meaning India is not obligated to meet the 30-day deadline for releasing such reports.
Initial reports from the crash site suggest that low visibility in the area could have contributed to the accident. On the day of the incident, VSR’s Director, Vijay Kumar Singh, noted that the pilots were likely dealing with visibility issues. The Learjet 45, involved in the crash, is a mid-size business jet made by Bombardier Aerospace in Canada, with approximately 640 units produced from 1995 to 2012. The DGCA database indicates that VSR operated a fleet of 17 aircraft, including the one that went down.
Baramati Airport serves as a regional airstrip mainly for pilot training and private flight operations. It lacks navigational aids to assist pilots during low visibility, which means they must rely on visual navigation to land. This can be tough if conditions are poor.
Additionally, Baramati is an uncontrolled airfield. Pilots there must navigate visually while avoiding other aircraft and maintain separation from each other. They also use radio communication to coordinate operations. Traffic information at Baramati Airport is provided by flying instructors or other pilots from local flight schools.