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A Learjet 45 crash at Baramati killed all five on board, including Maharashtra's deputy chief minister. The pilot had over 15,000 flying hours, while the co-pilot had 1,500. The DGCA's last audit found no critical safety issues. Investigations into the cause are ongoing.
India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has launched a probe into the crash of a Learjet 45 at Baramati on Wednesday morning that killed all five people on board, including Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, the civil aviation ministry said. The aircraft, operated by non-scheduled carrier VSR Ventures Pvt Ltd, went down during landing at the uncontrolled airfield.
The director general of the bureau is reaching the accident site, the ministry said, adding that further details would be shared as the probe progresses. Investigators are expected to examine operational, weather, human factors and technical aspects as part of the probe to determine the cause of the accident.
The ministry put out the available details on the aircraft and the crew. It said the Learjet 45, registered VT-SSK, was operating a Mumbai-Baramati flight on 28 January when it met with the accident during landing at the uncontrolled airfield.
Flight sequence
According to preliminary information released by the ministry, the aircraft had first established contact with Baramati at 8.18 am. The crew was advised to descend under "visual meteorological conditions at the pilot’s discretion"; which means the pilot had to take a call depending on runway visibility. On enquiring about the weather, the crew was informed that winds were calm and visibility was 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 the go-around, the aircraft again reported being on final approach for runway 11. Asked to report the runway in sight, the crew initially said it was not visible and would call back. Moments later, they reported that the runway was in sight. The aircraft was cleared to land at 8.43 am, but there was no response from the airline. At 8.44 am, personnel at the airfield saw flames near the threshold of the runway. Emergency services were immediately dispatched. The wreckage was found on the left side of the runway.
Baramati is an uncontrolled airfield, where traffic information is provided by instructors or pilots from local flying training organizations.
Aircraft profile
According to ministry said, VSR Ventures is a non-scheduled operator and its air operator permit was initially issued in April 2014 and last renewed in April 2023. The permit is valid until April 2028. The company operates a fleet of 17 aircraft, including seven Learjet 45s, five Embraer 135BJ aircraft, four King Air B200s and one Pilatus PC-12. The aircraft involved in the accident, a Learjet was manufactured in 2010. Its air-worthiness review certificate was issued on 10 September 2025 and was valid until 14 September 2026. The aircraft had logged about 4,916 flight hours, the initial probe showed.
The engines of the aircraft were Honeywell TFE731-20BR turbofans. The left engine had accrued about 4,916 hours, while the right engine had logged about 4,527 hours.
The commander was an airline transport pilot licence holder with over 15,000 hours of flying experience. His last medical examination was conducted in November 2025 and was valid until May 2026. The co-pilot held a commercial pilot licence with approximately 1,500 hours of flying experience, the ministry probe has revealed.
According to the statement, the civil aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had last conducted a regulatory audit of the operator in February 2025, with "no level-I findings issued". For context, a level-I finding represents critical, immediate safety risks requiring instant corrective action, to prevent potential accidents. These indicate serious non-compliance, such as unapproved procedures, inadequate training, or major maintenance lapses, and can lead to immediate grounding of aircraft or heavy penalties.
In September 2023, another Learjet 45 operated by the company was involved in a landing accident at a Mumbai airport. The incident, in which there were no fatalities, remains under investigation by the probe bureau.
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