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Correspondent

23 August 2024 at 4:29:04 pm

Exit that shocked the nation

Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, four others killed in plane crash; Probe begins into the reasons for the crash Mumbai: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four other persons on board an aircraft were killed after it crashed near the Baramati airport in Pune district on Wednesday. Pawar had taken off from Mumbai in the morning to address four rallies in the day in Pune district for the February 5 zilla parishad elections. The others killed in the tragedy were Captain Sumit Kapoor, who had a...

Exit that shocked the nation

Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, four others killed in plane crash; Probe begins into the reasons for the crash Mumbai: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four other persons on board an aircraft were killed after it crashed near the Baramati airport in Pune district on Wednesday. Pawar had taken off from Mumbai in the morning to address four rallies in the day in Pune district for the February 5 zilla parishad elections. The others killed in the tragedy were Captain Sumit Kapoor, who had a flying experience of 15,000 hours, co-pilot Capt. Shambhavi Pathak with 1,500 hours of flying, Personal Security Officer (PSO) Vidip Jadhav and flight attendant Pinky Mali. The government released a statement detailing the sequence of events that led to the crash and Pawar's death. The aircraft, a Learjet, was cleared for landing in Baramati on Wednesday morning after a go-around due to poor visibility, but having finally received a clearance it did not give any read-back' to the ATC, and moments later burst into flames on the edge of the runway. In aviation parlance, a go-around is a standard procedure where a pilot discontinues a landing attempt and initiates a climb to fly another approach. It is used when a landing cannot be completed safely due to factors like poor weather, an unstable approach, or traffic on the runway. It is a proactive safety measure rather than an emergency. In aviation, a readback is a crucial safety procedure where a pilot repeats back the essential parts of a message or instruction received from Air Traffic Control (ATC). It acts as a "closed-loop" communication system, ensuring that the controller's instructions were heard and understood correctly by the flight crew. The aircraft was trying to land amid poor visibility, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu told reporters in Pune. The statement by his ministry recounted the final minutes of the ill-fated Learjet 45 belonging to VSR Ventures Pvt Ltd that crashed, leading to the death of all five persons on board, including Pawar. Fatal Flight The ill-fated aircraft was a Bombardier Learjet 45, a twin-engine business jet commonly used for corporate and charter travel. Designed to carry between six and nine passengers, the Learjet 45 has a range of approximately 2,000 nautical miles and is powered by twin turbofan engines. The aircraft involved in the crash belonged to a charter operator and was being used for a non-scheduled private flight.According to preliminary information from aviation authorities and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) sources, the aircraft encountered severe weather conditions while approaching Baramati. Dense fog enveloped the Pune–Baramati region at the time, drastically reducing visibility and complicating the landing procedure. Probe Begins A team from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has reached the Baramati crash site to launch a forensic probe into the VSR Venture's Learjet 45 aircraft accident. "The investigation team has reached the (crash) site. They are on the work," the AAIB official told PTI. The official, however, declined to share further details. Earlier in the day, AAIB, which has the mandate to investigate all accidents and serious incidents/incidents involving aircraft with a gross weight of 2,250 kg or turbojet aircraft, was handed the probe into the crash. The aircraft, bearing registration VT-SSK, was being operated by the Delhi-based non-scheduled operator VSR Ventures Pvt Ltd. The crew was advised to descend in visual meteorological conditions at the pilot's discretion, the Civil Aviation Ministry said in its statement. At that time, the winds were calm, and visibility was around 3,000 metres, it said. Baramati airfield does not have an instrumental landing system - a precision radio navigation system that provides short-range guidance to an aircraft, allowing it to approach a runway at night, during bad weather and poor visibility. Ajit Pawar's last rites will be held with full state honours on Thursday in Baramati. Union Home Minister Amit Shah is expected to attend the funeral, which will be held at Vidya Pratishthan ground at 11 am. The Maharashtra government on Wednesday declared three days of state mourning across state till January 30 as a mark of respect to Ajit Pawar. The national flag will be flown at half-mast on all buildings where it is flown regularly. There will be no official entertainment during the mourning period. “Ajit's death was a big shock for Maharashtra, which has lost a hardworking and efficient leader. This loss is irreparable. Not all things are in our hands. A stand was floated from Kolkata that there is some politics involved in this incident. But there is nothing like this. There is no politics in it. It was an accident. I request not to bring politics into it.” Sharad Pawar, President, NCP (SP)

Strong Outside, Gentle Within

Pawar was both trusted and deeply connected with the masses

Pune: It was almost heartbreaking for me to hear about the plane crash in Baramati. The sudden and shocking death of Ajitdada Pawar, along with his staff, has left me deeply shaken.


My mind went back to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. That was when I had the chance to work with him during Sunetra Pawar’s campaign against Supriya Sule in the Baramati constituency.


During those days, I was deeply touched by the personal warmth of Ajitdada. His fatherly affection toward all his family members, including Parth, Jay, and Sunetra Tai, as well as his personal staff at his Pune residence, Jijai Bungalow, left a lasting impression on me.


Ajitdada was always caring and practical in his approach to work. You would always feel a sense of positivity the moment you entered his “Jijai”. Even a few minutes of conversation with Ajitdada made you feel grounded and practical. I always met him early in the morning, between 6:30 am and 7:30 am, when he was fresh, calm, and attentive.


At Jijai, you were always offered poha and tea, a simple gesture that reflected his care and respect for his karykartas.


I never once heard Ajitdada express personal anguish, even during his political fight with his cousin sister Supriya during the Lok Sabha elections. He always insisted that rivalry should remain political and never become personal, which I believe is rare among today’s politicians. That is what made him a rare combination of a mass leader and a deeply trustworthy figure in Maharashtra politics.


Ajitdada was like a coconut—strong on the outside, yet gentle, warm, and caring within. Very often, his honesty did not bring him favourable political returns, but he never regretted it. He always stood firmly by his words and actions. I never saw him make gestures just for show, to pass the time, or merely to please people without expecting sincere work in return.


Whether at his residence in Pune or in Baramati, Ajitdada was always surrounded by hundreds of karykartas and people. This itself reflected his strong grassroots connection with the masses.


Even after his party’s recent setback in the Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad municipal elections, he openly admitted that Punekars had not voted for him. He said he would work harder, with an open mind, to win back their mandate.


Will Ajitdada’s next generation carry forward his political legacy, or will this mark the end of the Ajit Pawar family’s political journey? But one truth is already clear today. There will not be another “Dada” in Maharashtra politics who is both so trusted and so deeply connected with the masses. Jijai will always remember him as their own “Dada”.

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