Replying to a letter written by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the Civil Aviation Minister said the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has commenced a formal probe into the recent aircraft accident that claimed the lives of 66-year-old Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others.
Photo: IANS
Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu Kinjarapu on Thursday said the black box of the ill-fated aircraft that crashed near the Baramati has been recovered, adding that cooperation from the Maharashtra government will be valuable for the probe into the tragic accident.
Replying to a letter written by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the Civil Aviation Minister said the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has commenced a formal probe into the recent aircraft accident that claimed the lives of 66-year-old Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others.
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The Civil Aviation Minister, in his formal response to Fadnavis, said the aircraft’s black box has been recovered, and the investigation has commenced in accordance with the Aircraft Accident and Incident Rules.
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He assured that the probe would be conducted transparently and in a time-bound manner.
“All technical records, operational details, and facts from the accident site are being examined,” the letter stated.
The letter further stated that the Civil Aviation Ministry acknowledged the Chief Minister’s request to take preventive measures to avoid such incidents in the future, and that appropriate measures would be implemented once the investigation report is received.
“Cooperation from the Maharashtra government will be valuable for this inquiry, and assistance from the local administration will be required. The complete investigation report will also be shared with the state government,” the letter further read.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Civil Aviation, in a statement, said, “Following the unfortunate aircraft accident near Baramati, all requisite response and investigative mechanisms were activated immediately by the Ministry of Civil Aviation. Ensuring a thorough, transparent, and time-bound inquiry remains a top priority.”
A team of three officers from AAIB, Delhi, and another team of three officers from the DGCA, Mumbai Regional Office, reached the crash site on 28 January. The Director General, AAIB, G V G Yugandhar 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 further said.
“The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) remains fully committed to completing the investigation within a defined timeframe, strictly in accordance with established Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and laid-down guidelines,” it said.
“The investigation has been initiated in accordance with Rules 5 and 11 of the AAIB Rules, 2025,” the statement added.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had written to the Civil Aviation Minister following the tragic accident, highlighting the gravity of the incident in which a very senior political leader like Ajit Pawar lost his life along with four others.
In his letter, the Chief Minister requested a detailed inquiry into the accident’s exact causes and urged immediate steps to prevent similar incidents.
Ajit Pawar, died on Wednesday morning after the aircraft carrying him crashed while attempting to land at Baramati airport in Pune district. The plane crash-landed near the runway threshold, killing all five people on board the chartered plane. Among the deceased were his personal security officer, a flight attendant and two pilots.
The crash occurred around 8.48 am. Pawar was on his way to Baramati from Mumbai to campaign for the Zilla Panchayat elections.
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