Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar of Maharashtra state was one of five people who died Wednesday in a plane crash in Maharashtra state. Photo courtesy of Maharashtra Directorate General of Information and Public Relations/X
A mid-size jet with a deputy chief minister and four others aboard crashed while attempting to land at a western India airport Wednesday morning, according to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, which said there were no survivors.
The deceased have been identified as Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar of Maharashtra state, two crew members and two other government employees, including a personal security officer.
“My thoughts are with all those who lost their loved ones in the crash,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India said in a statement.
“Praying for strength and courage for the bereaved families in this moment of profound grief.”
दादा गेले! मुख्यमंत्री देवेंद्र फडणवीस यांची उपमुख्यमंत्री अजित पवार यांना श्रद्धांजली जमिनीशी घट्ट नाळ असलेले जननेते, माझे मित्र आणि सहकारी, उपमुख्यमंत्री अजितदादा पवार यांचा विमान अपघातात मृत्यू झाल्याची घटना मनाला अत्यंत व्यथित करणारी, मनाला चटका लावणारी आहे. या दुर्घटनेमुळे… pic.twitter.com/9dp9D8xkQU— MAHARASHTRA DGIPR (@MahaDGIPR) January 28, 2026
The aircraft, a Learjet 45 operated by VSR Airlines, crashed at about 8:44 a.m. IST Wednesday on Runway 11 of Baramati Airport, located in Maharashtra state, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said in a statement.
An air traffic control sequence of events report states that after failing to see the runway on an initial final approach, the jet, flying from Mumbai to Baramati, was instructed to make a second pass.
On its second approach, after the pilot confirmed the runway was in sight, the traffic control tower cleared the aircraft for landing. However, the control tower did not receive feedback.
The next thing the control tower saw was “flames around the threshold of Runway 11,” the report states.
“The emergency services then rushed to the crash site,” it said.
“The wreckage of the aircraft is located on the left side of the runway.”
The jet last underwent an audit by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation in February with no issues reported, the ministry said, adding that the pilot had more than 15,000 hours flown and the co-pilot had more than 1,500 hours flown.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is investigating the crash and was en route to the site.
The government of Maharashtra has declared Wednesday a state holiday and three days of mourning for Pawar, the state’s Directorate General of Information and Public Relations said in a statement.
Eknath Shinde, deputy chief minister of housing in Maharashtra, said that news of Pawar’s death was “unbelievable and deeply shocking.”
“I feel as though I have lost an elder brother,” he said in a statement.
“Today is a black day for Maharashtra, as we have lost a visionary, forthright, and highly knowledgeable leader.”
Delhi-based VSR Ventures operates a fleet of 17 aircraft including seven Learjet 45 planes.
According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, one of VSR’s Learjet 45s was involved in a crash on Sept. 14, 2023.
That crash is also under investigation by the AAIB.
A preliminary report on the incident states the jet was flying from Visakhapatnam to Mumbai with six passengers and two crew members on board when it crash-landed at Mumbai airport.
All occupants were evacuated, but sustained various injuries. The pilot and the six passengers were discharged following precautionary treatment while the co-pilot suffered serious injuries and was hospitalized.
