Baramati : Before crash landing, the 2 crew members in the cockpit of Learjet Aircraft 45 were heard of saying ” Oh Sh** ” moments before the second attempt of landing the plane that took lives of Maharashtra’s Deputy CM Ajit Pawar along with 5 others.
Learjet Aircraft 45 that was being operated by Delhi’s VSR Ventures Pvt Ltd. took the lives of 66-year-old Pawar, his personal security officer and attendant, and two cockpit crew, pilot-in-command Sumit Kapur and first officer Shambhavi Pathak.
Informing the chronology of the event, DGCA privy to the matter said that the last words that were heard from the crew were “Oh Sh**”. He said that 2 private aviation academics, specifically Redbird Aviation and Carver Aviation, had the ground control at Baramati which was the point of contact for the pilots at base.
On Wednesday evening, a specialised team from Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) visited the crash site for a forensic probe to investigate the tragic incident.
According to the Civil Aviation Ministry statement, the crew failed to give a readback of landing clearance termed to be a worrying point. In simple terms, readback means to send a message on a repeated basis which is required for authorising its landing which is a basic protocol worldwide which lacked here in this incident.
Also read : “Papa, I’m Flying With Ajit Pawar To Baramati”: Flight Attendant’s Last Words To Father Before Fatal Crash
Sequence of Events:
1. At 8:18 am: The aircraft, registered as VT-SSK, established contact with Baramati airport.
2. The pilot, Kapur (over 15,000 flying hours), and co-pilot Pathak (around 1,500 hours), were briefed on prevailing weather conditions and advised to land at their discretion.
3. The crew sought details on wind conditions and visibility and were informed that visibility was about 3,000 metres, considered adequate for an attempted landing.
4. The aircraft reported being on final approach to Runway 11.
5. Shortly thereafter, the pilot stated that the runway was not in sight and was instructed to carry out a go-around, a standard procedure when a landing is aborted.
6. Following the go-around, ATC requested the aircraft’s position; the crew again reported being on final approach.
7. Upon confirmation that the runway was visible, the aircraft was cleared to land at 8:43 am, though no readback of the clearance was received.
8.At 8:44 am: Air Traffic Control observed flames near the threshold of Runway 11, according to the ministry’s statement.