New Delhi, 29 Jan (UNI) union Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu Kinjarapu has responded to a letter from Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis regarding the aircraft crash that led to the demise of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, along with five others.
The minister said that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has initiated an investigation, and the aircraft’s black box has been taken into custody. As per the Aircraft Accident and Incident Rules, the investigation has begun and will be conducted in a transparent and time-bound manner. All technical records, operational details, and facts from the accident site are being examined.
The Ministry has taken note of Fadnavis’s request to prevent such incidents in the future, and appropriate measures will be implemented once the investigation report is received.
The Aviation Minister stated that cooperation from the Maharashtra government will be valuable for this inquiry, and assistance from the local administration will be required. The complete investigation report will also be shared with the state government.
The black box of the aircraft that crashed in Pune on Wednesday, leading to the demise of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar along with three others, has been recovered, informed the Ministry of Civil Aviation. “The investigation is progressing expeditiously, and the black box of the ill-fated aircraft has been recovered,” said the MoCA in an official statement on Thursday.
The probe agencies have taken custody of the black box recovered from the Learjet 45 crash site near Baramati, which claimed the lives of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and five others. The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) confirmed that the Flight Data Recorder and Cockpit Voice Recorder, crucial for determining the cause of the accident, have been retrieved.
Investigation teams from the AAIB and DGCA are conducting inquiries under Rules 5 and 11 of the AAIB Rules, 2025, following standard operating procedures to ensure a thorough, transparent, and time-bound investigation. The Learjet, operated by VSR and registered as VT-SSK, reportedly became unstable during descent, veered off the runway upon landing, and caught fire.
