Ajit Pawar plane crash investigation made a key breakthrough on Thursday after authorities recovered the black box of the charter aircraft that went down near Pune, killing Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) confirmed.
The aircraft, a Bombardier Learjet 45, crashed while attempting to land at the Baramati airstrip near Pune on Wednesday morning. The jet caught fire on impact and was completely gutted, making visual identification of the victims impossible. There were no survivors.
In a statement, the civil aviation ministry said it remains fully committed to completing the probe within a defined timeframe, strictly following established Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and regulatory guidelines.
“A team of three officers from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), Delhi, and another team of three officers from the DGCA Mumbai Regional Office reached the crash site on January 28. The Director General, AAIB, also arrived at the site the same day. The investigation is progressing expeditiously, and the black box of the ill-fated aircraft has been recovered,” the ministry said.
The cause of the crash remains unknown and will be determined after a detailed investigation using data retrieved from the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder.
According to the ministry, the mid-size business jet was cleared for landing about a minute before it crashed in flames at 8:44 am. The aircraft was being flown by Captain Sumit Kapur (62) from Delhi’s Rajouri Garden and co-pilot Shambhavi Pathak (25) from Safdarjung Enclave. A flight attendant and a police head constable serving as Ajit Pawar’s personal security officer were also on board.
The ministry said the Learjet 45 was advised to descend under visual meteorological conditions, allowing pilots to maintain visual separation from terrain and other aircraft. The crew had sought information on wind and visibility and were informed that winds were calm with visibility of around 3,000 metres.
During the first approach to runway 11, the crew reported that the runway was not in sight and initiated a go-around. After being asked to report their position, the aircraft again approached the runway. The crew initially said the runway was not visible but later confirmed visual contact. Although the aircraft was cleared to land, no readback of the landing clearance was received.
“Shortly thereafter, air traffic control observed flames near the threshold of runway 11 at 0844 IST,” the ministry said. The wreckage was later found on the left side of the runway.
What Is a Black Box?
A black box refers to the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder, which are crucial in reconstructing the sequence of events leading to an aircraft accident. Despite the name, these devices are bright orange to aid recovery and are typically installed in the tail section of an aircraft, considered the most survivable area during a crash.