Investigation guaranteed: Rammohan Naidu promises Fadnavis a ‘time-bound’ probe into Pawar crash
New Delhi: Union Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu formally responded to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday, pledging a "transparent and time-bound" federal investigation into the plane crash that killed Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others.
The response follows a written request from Fadnavis seeking a high-level probe into the Wednesday morning disaster at Baramati Airport. Naidu confirmed that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has officially assumed control of the inquiry and has secured the aircraft’s black box for forensic analysis.
Federal Investigative Mandate
In a letter detailing the government's roadmap, Naidu outlined several key steps being taken by the Ministry of Civil Aviation:
- Evidence in Custody: The flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder (the black box) were recovered from the charred wreckage of the Learjet 45XR and have been transported to Delhi. These devices are expected to provide definitive data on the aircraft's final minutes in the dense smog.
- Adherence to Protocol: The minister stated that the probe has been initiated under the Aircraft Accident and Incident Rules, ensuring that all technical records, pilot certifications, and operational logs from the carrier, VSR Ventures, are scrutinised.
- Infrastructure Review: Addressing Fadnavis’s concerns regarding future safety, Naidu noted that "appropriate measures" and potential reforms for uncontrolled airfields will be implemented once the final report is received.
Call for State Cooperation
While the AAIB leads the technical investigation, Naidu emphasised that the cooperation of the Maharashtra government and local Baramati administration remains "valuable" for the inquiry.
"Assistance from the local administration will be required to verify ground-level facts and eyewitness accounts," the minister wrote. He further assured the Chief Minister that the completed investigation report would be shared in its entirety with the state government to ensure full transparency.
The Current Findings
Preliminary reports from the site indicate that the aircraft, piloted by a veteran with over 15,000 flying hours, was attempting a second landing after a "go-around" due to poor visibility. The jet was cleared to land at 8:43 am but failed to provide a mandatory "read-back" to controllers, crashing just one minute later.
While the operator has denied any technical malfunctions, the AAIB is investigating whether a sudden systems failure or a "cockpit emergency" occurred in the final seconds after the last radio contact.
With inputs from ANI