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Baramati Crash Probe Reveals Low Visibility, Missing Navigational Aids

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau's preliminary report on the crash that killed Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar highlights critical safety lapses at Baramati Airfield. It states the visibility was only 3 kilometers during landing, well below the required 5-kilometer minimum. The report also notes the uncontrolled airfield lacks meteorological facilities and proper navigational aids, with faded runway markings and loose gravel present. While the experienced pilots were aware of the airfield's topography and had passed breathalyzer tests, the conditions and infrastructure deficiencies posed significant risks.

Key Points: Baramati Plane Crash: Low Visibility, No Navigational Aids Cited

  • Visibility was 3km vs 5km minimum
  • No meteorological facility at airfield
  • Runway lacked navigational aids
  • Runway markings faded, loose gravel present
  • Pilots were experienced, passed breathalyzer test
3 min read

AAIB highlights low visibility, lack of navigational aids on runway in preliminary report for Baramati plane crash

AAIB preliminary report on Ajit Pawar's fatal crash cites visibility below minimum, lack of meteorological & navigational aids at Baramati airfield.

"the visibility... was below the minimum requirement of five kilometres - AAIB Preliminary Report"

New Delhi, February 28

The visibility reported at Baramati on January 28, at the time of landing of the VT-SSK aircraft, which carried Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and crash landed, was below the minimum requirement of five kilometres, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau said in its Preliminary Report on Saturday.

AAIB's report noted that the crew asked for visibility while approaching Baramati, for which the tower replied as 3000 meters (three kilometres), well below the required visibility of five kilometres.

The report also highlighted that there is no meteorological facility available at Baramati Airfield, and the weather information is usually passed on to the aircraft with the help of a weather instrument installed in the temporary tower.

The inspection of the aerodrome at the Baramati Airfield revealed that the airport is an uncontrolled airfield and does not have any navigational aids other than wind socks. The two wind socks are available towards the runway 29 side, while no wind sock was available towards the runway 11 side, where the aeroplane carrying Ajit Pawar attempted to land.

Highlighting other discrepancies with the aerodrome, the report said that only Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operations can be carried out; however, regular flying training operations and Non-scheduled operations are carried out at the airport. The last runway re-carpeting was carried out in March 2016, and no runway re-carpeting has resulted in the fading of all the runway markings and the presence of loose gravel on the runway surface.

The aircraft was attempting to land on runway 11 after obtaining landing clearance from Baramati tower.

Both the flight recorders, including Solid-State Flight Data Recorders (SSFDR) and Solid-State Cockpit Voice Recorder (SSCVR), were found in their original location at the tail portion of the aircraft wreckage. Both the recorders were removed from the wreckage and were quarantined for data recovery and further analysis, the report said.

AAIB said that the last flight for the aircraft VT-SSK operated for sector Mumbai-Surat-Mumbai on January 26, and the operating crew of that flight stated that they did not find any abnormality in the aircraft during the entire and even the technician stated that no abnormality was observed in the aircraft during the post flight inspection.

The probe agency found out that both pilots had flown to Baramati earlier and were aware of the topography of the airfield. The crew also had prior experience of operating a number of VIP flights and other flights to an uncontrolled airfield Including Baramati. The pilots had also passed the Breath Analyser (BA) Test.

The probe authority recommended that DGCA issue necessary directions to all operators operating Visual Flight Rules (VFR) flights to uncontrolled airfields to strictly adhere to the laid down standard operating procedures. Further, it asked the DGCA to issue necessary directions to all the aerodrome operators at the uncontrolled airfields to ensure that the flying operations are allowed only when the prevailing weather conditions are within the criteria laid down in the relevant DGCA regulations.

AAIB also suggested audit or surveillance of stakeholders in the uncontrolled fields. It recommended that DGCA take necessary measures to enhance the landing aids along with basic meteorological facilities at these airports.

Pawar died on the morning of January 28 when the Learjet 45 aircraft (VT-SSK) carrying him crash-landed while attempting to land at Baramati airport in Pune district. The aircraft went down near the runway threshold, killing all five people on board.

Among the deceased were Pawar, his personal security officer, a flight attendant, and two pilots.

Ajit Pawar was travelling from Mumbai to Baramati to campaign for the Zilla Panchayat elections.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Very sad news. My heart goes out to the families of all five victims. It's shocking that such basic facilities were missing. No wind sock on the landing side? Weather info from a temporary tower? This report highlights serious systemic negligence. Hope this tragedy leads to real change in how our smaller airfields are managed. 🙏
R
Rohit P
The pilots were experienced and knew the airfield. They even passed the BA test. This puts the spotlight squarely on the infrastructure, or lack thereof. When the visibility is below minimums, why was clearance even given? The tower and the operators share responsibility. A thorough audit of all such airfields is long overdue.
D
David E
Reading this from an aviation safety perspective is alarming. "Visual Flight Rules only" but operations continue in poor visibility? Runway markings faded since 2016? This is a recipe for disaster. The AAIB recommendations are spot on. DGCA needs to enforce these standards without exception, VIP flight or not.
A
Anjali F
Such a terrible loss. While the focus is rightly on the airport's failures, I also wonder about the pressure to land for the election campaign. Even with experienced pilots, was there an unspoken urgency? We need to create a culture where safety always overrides schedule, especially in our political circles.
K
Karthik V
The report says the last recarpeting was in 2016! Eight years with no maintenance? This isn't just about Baramati. How many other district airstrips are in a similar dilapidated state? This tragedy should be a wake-up call for a nationwide safety audit of all regional air connectivity infrastructure.

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