Ajit Pawar Death: Chilling CCTV Footage Captures Moment Plane Crashed in Baramati (WATCH)

CCTV footage shows the final seconds of a Learjet carrying Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar as it crashes near Baramati runway after a failed landing attempt amid poor visibility.

CCTV captures fatal crash

Grainy CCTV footage from Baramati airfield has emerged, capturing the horrifying moment a Learjet 45 carrying Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar slammed into the ground and burst into flames just short of the runway, killing all five persons on board.

The visuals show the aircraft descending low during its second landing attempt before disappearing from frame, followed seconds later by a massive fireball near the threshold of Runway 11. Officials said the jet crashed around 100 feet before the runway amid poor visibility.

Plane vanished from radar minutes earlier

The Learjet had departed Mumbai at 8:10 am. Radar contact was lost around 8:45 am, moments before the crash.

Eyewitnesses near the airfield said they heard a loud impact followed by flames shooting several metres into the air — a scene now corroborated by CCTV footage reviewed by investigators.

What Civil Aviation Ministry Said

According to the civil aviation ministry, Air Traffic Control personnel saw flames at 8:44 am, just one minute after the aircraft had been cleared to land.

“The aircraft was cleared to land on runway 11 at 0843 IST (8.43 am). However, they did not give a readback of the landing clearance (did not respond to ATC). Next, the ATC saw the flames around the threshold of runway 11 at 0844 IST (8.44 am),” the statement said.

Emergency services rushed to the crash site immediately, but the intensity of the fire left no chance of survival.

Poor visibility, aborted first landing

Civil Aviation Minister K Ram Mohan Naidu said the aircraft was attempting to land amid poor visibility.

ATC records show the jet had already aborted its first landing attempt after failing to visually acquire the runway.

“Next the aircraft reported on the final approach of Runway 11 and the runway was not in sight to them. They initiated a go-around in the first approach,” the ministry statement said.

After circling back, the crew again reported difficulty spotting the runway.

“Runway is currently not in sight, will call when runway is in sight.”

Moments later, the crew informed ATC that they could see the runway — a statement followed by silence.

Uncontrolled airfield under scrutiny

Baramati operates as an uncontrolled airfield, where traffic information is provided by instructors and pilots from Flying Training Organisations rather than a full ATC setup.

This operational limitation, combined with poor visibility, is expected to be a key focus of the investigation.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has taken over the investigation. The Director General of AAIB is reaching the crash site to lead the probe.

Investigators will analyse CCTV footage, ATC audio logs, weather data and aircraft systems to reconstruct the final seconds of the flight.

Aircraft details and safety record

The crashed Learjet 45 belonged to VSR Ventures Pvt Ltd, a Non-Scheduled Operator (Permit No. 07/2014).

The aircraft was manufactured in 2010. Regulatory clearances were valid at the time of the crash:

Certificate of Airworthiness: December 16, 2021

Certificate of Registration: December 27, 2022

Airworthiness Review Certificate: Issued September 10, 2025, valid until September 14, 2026

The civil aviation ministry said the last DGCA audit in February 2025 recorded “no level-I findings.”