Black box recovered as ministry replies to Fadnavis on Learjet 45 crash that killed Ajit Pawar
Investigators have recovered the Black Box, crucial for understanding the final moments. The Ministry confirmed the plane erupted in flames one minute after receiving landing clearance at an uncontrolled airport.
The Civil Aviation Ministry has officially broken its silence on the aviation tragedy that claimed the life of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, providing a chilling timeline of the flight’s final moments.
In a formal response to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the Ministry confirmed that investigators have successfully recovered the aircraft’s "Black Box," the critical flight data recorder that holds the key to understanding the Wednesday morning disaster.
The investigation begins
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has been tasked with a "thorough, transparent, and time-bound" inquiry into why the Learjet 45 plummeted to the ground in Baramati.
"The black box has been secured for detailed analysis," the Ministry stated, adding that every technical record and operational detail is being scrutinised. The government also assured CM Fadnavis that it is taking his request for future preventive measures seriously to ensure that such a high-profile tragedy never recurs.
A timeline of the crash
The Ministry’s report sheds light on the harrowing final communication between the cockpit and the ground. The Learjet 45 was attempting to land at Baramati Airport, a facility classified as "uncontrolled," where Air Traffic Control (ATC) is manned exclusively by pilot cadets from local flying schools.
According to the release, the flight crew initially reported that the runway was "not in sight." Moments later, the crew confirmed they had established visual contact with the runway.
At 8:43 AM, the ATC granted formal clearance for the aircraft to land, and at 8:44 AM, just sixty seconds after receiving clearance, the ATC watched in horror as the plane erupted in flames, the release said.
A state in mourning
The crash resulted in five fatalities, wiping out everyone on board the chartered flight. The victims were identified as Ajit Pawar, Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Vidip Jadhav, Pawar’s personal security officer, Captain Sumit Kapur, pilot-in-command, Captain Shambhavi Pathak, first Officer, and Pinky Mali, flight attendant.
The significance of the Black Box
With the recovery of the device, investigators hope to reconstruct the technical health of the Learjet 45 during its descent. As a "device designed to capture and store important data during flight," the Black Box will reveal if mechanical failure, weather, or human error played a role in the one-minute window between clearance and catastrophe.
The Civil Aviation Ministry has committed to sharing the final findings of the AAIB probe with the Maharashtra government as soon as the analysis is complete.