New Delhi: Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu on Wednesday said a transparent and accountable investigation would be conducted into the plane crash that killed Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, adding that poor visibility during landing may have played a key role in the accident.

Speaking to reporters, the minister said preliminary information suggests that visibility was low when the aircraft attempted to land at Baramati airport around 8:48 am.

“We will conduct an investigation in a transparent and accountable manner. Preliminary information indicates that visibility was poor at the site at the time of landing,” he said.

What happened before the crash

Explaining the sequence of events, Naidu said air traffic control (ATC) first asked the pilot whether the runway was visible, to which the pilot responded negatively. The aircraft then went around and made another landing attempt.

“After a go-around, the aircraft returned to land, and the pilot was again asked if the runway was visible for landing. Then, the pilot confirmed visibility of the runway. After ATC cleared landing, it was seen that the accident had occurred,” the minister said.

Calling the incident deeply tragic, the civil aviation minister expressed sorrow over Pawar’s death.

“My heart is very heavy with sorrow. It is difficult to digest that Ajit Dada is now with us...Ajit Dada used to guide us a lot due to his experience in public service. This is an irreplaceable loss for Maharashtra. It is very difficult to find leaders like him,” he said, offering condolences to the families of the other victims.

Who were the five others killed in crash landing at Baramati

According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), five people — including two crew members — died after the chartered aircraft flying from Mumbai to Baramati crash-landed at the runway threshold at around 8:45 am. Ajit Pawar was travelling with his PSO, an attendant and the flight crew.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced a state holiday and three days of mourning following Pawar’s death. The decision on his last rites will be taken after consultations with his family.