Why Ajit Pawar’s Plane Sent No SOS Before Fatal Baramati Crash That Killed Five

A Learjet 45 business aircraft carrying Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar crashed near Baramati airport on Wednesday morning, killing all five people onboard, raising serious questions about aviation safety and emergency protocols. According to officials familiar with the investigation, the pilot did not send out an SOS or distress call before the aircraft went down in flames, despite being in contact with Air Traffic Control (ATC) moments earlier.

The aircraft had taken off from Mumbai at 8:10 am and was scheduled to land in Baramati around 8:50 am, where Pawar was to address a rural poll rally in his political stronghold. ATC officials confirmed that the captain reported the runway was visible, suggesting there was no immediate indication of a critical emergency. However, eyewitnesses stated that the aircraft attempted a go-around, a standard aviation manoeuvre during unstable landing conditions, before crashing shortly after.

The jet was piloted by Captain Sumit Kapoor and First Officer Shambavi Pathak, with Pinky Mali, a flight attendant, and Vidhit Jadhav, Pawar’s personal security officer, also onboard. None survived. Visuals from the crash site showed burning wreckage and thick smoke, pointing to a high-impact crash.

Baramati airport, which has a 1,770-metre runway, was being operated by Carver Aviation on the day of the crash. Officials indicated that visibility issues or sudden technical failure could not be ruled out, though no official cause has been confirmed yet. Aviation experts note that the absence of an SOS often suggests a rapid, uncontrollable emergency, leaving the crew with little or no reaction time.

The tragedy has sparked nationwide shock and mourning, with questions being raised over aircraft safety history, weather conditions, airport infrastructure, and whether warning signs were missed in the final moments. A detailed investigation involving aviation authorities is underway to reconstruct the aircraft’s final seconds and determine why no distress signal was transmitted before one of Maharashtra’s most senior political leaders lost his life in the crash.