PUNE: High flames, burning aircraft, and five charred bodies were what the first responders found after reaching the crash site at Atole Vasti near the Baramati airstrip on Wednesday morning.Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, along with pilots Captain Sumit Kapur and First Officer Shambhavi Pathak, flight attendant Pinky Mali, and personal security officer Vidip Jadhav, were killed when the plane crashed at 8:44 am.Firefighters Battle Intense Blaze“We received an emergency call at 8.57am and two fire tenders were sent to the spot. We saw the mangled remains of the aircraft scattered around, and the fire had engulfed nearby trees and grass. The flames were high due to the presence of fuel,” said S T Ingawale, Baramati MIDC fire station officer.Ingawale said after they controlled the fire, they saw two charred persons outside the aircraft and three inside. “They were burnt and motionless. We took them to hospital in ambulances,” he said.Eyewitnesses Recall Plane Spiralling Before Fiery CrashWitnesses said they saw the aircraft losing balance before the crash. “It was flying very low and circled around the airport once. Suddenly it started spiralling and crashed. There was a huge fire in the air and smoke bellowed. We ran towards the site. Within a few minutes, fire brigade vehicles came on the runway, but were unable to reach the crash site in the absence of a metallic road. The vehicles had to go around and take the non-metallic road leading to the spot. We didn’t know Ajitdada was on the plane. We learned about it after the bodies were taken out from the charred remains of the plane. The smell of gasoline spread across the area and lasted well past the afternoon,” said Anita Atole, a resident of Gojubavi village close to where the runway is located. Gojubavi is about 12km from the Pawars’ hometown.A farmer, Raghu Maruti Atole (65), who lives close to the accident spot, said he was feeding the cattle when a small aircraft went towards the airstrip, but its tail hit a tree. “Within a few minutes, the aircraft returned towards the landing side of the airstrip from the railway gate side around 8.45am. The aircraft was swaying. Then suddenly, there was a loud noise, like a blast. I ran towards the airstrip and saw flames close to 50ft high. Parts of the aircraft were scattered everywhere,” he said.Atole added that before he could call anyone or do something, he heard the sirens of fire brigade vehicles. When asked if there was a dense fog in the area, Atole replied in the affirmative.Experts Cite Low Visibility, Technical Glitches As Possible CausesAir Vice-Marshal Manmohan Bahadur (retd) said, “The tragedy could have happened because of factors such as low visibility, sudden technical issues or other operational challenges.”“These jets are known for their high cruise and approach speeds. While speed is an advantage in reducing the travel time, it sharply narrows the decision-making window for pilots,” a senior test pilot familiar with business jet operations told TOI.“During landing, this becomes especially critical. These typically require longer landing distances and precise touchdown points. A slightly unstable approach or delayed correction can quickly lead to runway overruns or hard landings,” he added.Special Committee Set Up To Probe CrashSandeep Singh Gill, superintendent of police, Pune rural, said that five people, including deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, were travelling on the plane that crashed in Baramati around 8.55am while approaching the airport. “All the five were moved to hospital where they were pronounced dead.” A police team found the aircraft engulfed in flames, and they waited for the fire brigade to complete their work, Gill said.“The bodies were charred, and we ran DNA tests to establish their identities. We then contacted their relatives,” the police officer said, adding that a special committee will probe the case.Teams from various police stations arrived and cordoned off the crash site after crowd started gathering on hearing the demise of Ajit Pawar. Forensic experts and CID officers, too, reached the spot.
