Meera Pathak, grandmother of deceased pilot Shambhavi Pathak, expressed her shock over the Baramati plane crash that also killed Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar. The IAF has deployed a team to provide ATC services as an investigation begins.
Meera Pathak, grandmother of Pilot Shambhavi Pathak, who died along with Ajit Pawar in the charter plane crash on Wednesday, stated that the incident shocked and terrified her. Talking about how she got to know about the incident through her son, she said, "I got to know about the incident around 11 am, my younger son told me. I got terrified, I asked her father yesterday only where she was, and her father told me she had gone to Mumbai... I met her on 12th October. She stayed with us until she was in Class 4-5. After that, she went to Delhi. Shambhavi's parents stay in Delhi. She has a younger brother."
Five Dead in Crash, Investigation Begins
Shambhavi Pathak was one of the four deceased, alongside Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister, in the Baramati Plane Crash. 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, and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau dispatched probe teams to the site of the mishap to investigate.
IAF Deploys Emergency Team
On an urgent request from the Maharashtra government, the Indian Air Force has swiftly deployed a team of Air Traffic Control (ATC) personnel along with essential technical equipment from Air Force Station Lohegaon to Baramati Airport, the Defence officials said on Wednesday. The team promptly established emergency Air Traffic Control services, including communication and other emergency facilities, in coordination with the local administration to support safe and efficient air traffic management, they added.
In an X post, the Indian Air Force stated that a dedicated team of Air Warriors has been deployed on the urgent request of the civic authorities after the Baramati plane crash. The team is providing basic Air Traffic Control and Meteorological services. "In response to the civic authorities' urgent request after the tragic aircraft crash at Baramati Airport, the Indian Air Force has swiftly deployed a dedicated team of Air Warriors. They are providing essential basic Air Traffic Control (ATC) and Meteorological services to support safe air operations from the site. This rapid assistance underscores IAF's commitment to national service in times of need," the IAF wrote.
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