Ajit Pawar dies in plane crash: Same model aircraft had crashed in 2023 as well

Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar was killed after the aircraft carrying him and five others crashed at Baramati airport near Pune on Wednesday morning. The nine-seater VT-SSK charter plane, a Learjet 45XR, was operated by VSR Ventures Pvt Ltd and was built in 2010 by the Canadian company Bombardier Aviation. It crashed while attempting an emergency landing, as per the latest reports. The investigation into the incident is underway, though the safety of the aircraft and the airport where it landed are currently under scrutiny.

An earlier crash
The same model aircraft was involved in another accident in 2023, in Mumbai, while attempting to land amid poor weather. Though there were no casualties, eight people were injured. The super-light business jet, which was flying in from Vishakapatnam, veered off the runway and broke into two. As for today, according to the platform 'Flightradar24' that tracks planes, the aircraft was attempting a 'second approach' to Baramati Airport when it crashed. In aviation terms, this means that after failing to land once, the pilot climbed back up, repositioned, and attempted to land again. As per latest reports, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is soon likely to launch a probe into the incident.

Baramati Airport's history of crashes
Time and again, reports of aircraft crashes have come from Baramati airport. As per reports, this is primarily because the airport is often used for training. In August, 2025, a training aircraft had an accident while landing, though no one was injured. In 2023, too, two accidents involving training planes were reported at the airport.
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