Ajit Pawar plane crash: Why a 2023 Learjet incident is back in focus
PTC Web Desk: As the authorities begin investigating the plane crash that claimed the life of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Wednesday, aviation experts are revisiting a previous accident involving the same aircraft family, the Bombardier Learjet 45XR, to understand potential risk factors.
Officials have clarified that while both incidents involved the Learjet 45 series, the aircraft involved were not the same. Pawar was travelling in a Learjet 45 registered as VT-SSK, whereas the 2023 accident at Mumbai airport involved another Learjet 45XR bearing the registration VT-DBL.
According to preliminary details, Pawar’s aircraft attempted to land at the Baramati airstrip when it reportedly lost control, overshot the runway and broke into two sections. The circumstances leading to the crash are still under investigation.
The 2023 Mumbai runway accident
On September 14, 2023, a Bombardier Learjet 45XR operating a non-scheduled passenger flight from Visakhapatnam to Mumbai met with a serious accident during landing at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.
As per the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), the jet had six passengers on board and encountered no issues during take-off or cruise. However, while approaching Mumbai, the aircraft was cleared to land on Runway 27 at 5:01 pm IST.
Visuals that later surfaced on social media showed extensive damage to the aircraft. One wing reportedly broke off upon impact, followed by a fire. The fuselage split apart before the jet came to a halt near the runway.
Investigators noted that severe weather conditions, including heavy rainfall and reduced visibility, prevailed at the Mumbai airport at the time. Data from Flightradar24 also indicated that the aircraft was attempting to land amid low cloud cover and intense rain.
The incident was officially classified as a runway excursion, a term used when an aircraft departs from the designated runway surface during landing or take-off.
Fire services responded swiftly and managed to contain the blaze. All passengers and crew survived but suffered injuries and were rushed to nearby hospitals.
Link to the Ajit Pawar crash under scrutiny
While no official conclusions have been drawn in the Ajit Pawar crash, officials have not ruled out poor weather and visibility as possible contributing factors. According to flight records, the pilot had flagged low visibility during the first landing attempt.
Sources said the aircraft was making a second approach when it allegedly went out of control during touchdown and crashed, triggering a fire on impact. Radar data shows the flight vanished from tracking shortly before the crash.
Investigators are now examining flight data, weather conditions, pilot inputs and runway parameters to establish the exact cause of the tragedy.
- With inputs from agencies
