Repeated aircraft accidents raise safety concerns at Baramati

The fatal among them was the Wednesday crash that killed Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and four others, but aviation experts and investigators say the tragedy followed a pattern of repeated mishaps linked to operational and infrastructural gaps at the airstrip

A series of aviation accidents and serious incidents near Baramati over the past few years has raised fresh concerns over safety standards, infrastructure limitations and regulatory oversight at the busy pilot training and charter hub in Pune district. The fatal among them was the Wednesday crash that killed Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and four others, but aviation experts and investigators say the tragedy followed a pattern of repeated mishaps linked to operational and infrastructural gaps at the airstrip.

In October 2023, two Tecnam P2008 JC aircraft operated by Red Bird Flight Training Academy met with serious incidents within a span of four days. (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO)

The Learjet 45XR (VT-SSK), operated by charter firm VSR Ventures, was flying from Mumbai to Baramati on the morning of January 28 for campaign-related engagements ahead of the zilla parishad elections. The aircraft first contacted Baramati around 8.18 am, but pilots reported difficulty in sighting the runway amid reduced visibility and executed a go-around. During a second approach, the crew reported the runway in sight and received clearance to land. Within a minute, however, the aircraft veered off near the runway threshold and crashed around 8.44 am, bursting into flames. All five occupants — Ajit Pawar, his personal security officer Vidip Jadhav, two pilots and a flight attendant — were killed.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has recovered the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder and is examining whether weather conditions, human error, technical failure or airport limitations contributed to the crash. Investigators are also assessing the absence of advanced navigation aids at the airport, particularly given that Baramati does not have an Instrument Landing System or satellite-based approach procedures that assist pilots during low-visibility conditions.

While the 2026 crash brought national attention to Baramati, the airport had already seen multiple training-related accidents. In October 2023, two Tecnam P2008 JC aircraft operated by Red Bird Flight Training Academy met with serious incidents within a span of four days. On October 19, one aircraft crashed shortly after take-off following a loss of engine power at low altitude, coming down just outside the airport perimeter. The instructor survived with minor injuries, but the aircraft was severely damaged. Three days later, another Tecnam aircraft suffered engine power loss during climb and made a forced landing in a field several nautical miles from the airstrip, injuring both the instructor and trainee pilot.

AAIB’s preliminary findings into these incidents pointed to shortcomings in operational discipline and raised concerns about the handling of crucial evidence before investigators reached the site. The agency also flagged the need for stricter regulatory oversight of training operations at the airport.

Earlier, in July 2022, a training aircraft operated by Carver Aviation crashed near Indapur, reportedly due to suspected fuel starvation, leaving the trainee pilot injured. In August 2025, another training aircraft was forced to crash-land after a bird strike. Though these incidents did not result in fatalities, they added to a growing record of accidents linked to the airfield.

Baramati airport, owned by the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), functions as an uncontrolled airstrip catering largely to flying schools and charter operations. It lacks a full-fledged air traffic control system, with flight advisories typically being coordinated over VHF (very high frequency) radio by training organisations themselves. Past investigations have also noted concerns related to aviation fuel storage practices on the premises and the absence of dedicated support from the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

The recurring incidents have triggered renewed calls from aviation experts for upgrades such as advanced landing aids, better weather monitoring facilities and tighter supervision of flight training activities. Minister of state for civil aviation Murlidhar Mohol said each incident is being taken seriously and that the focus remains on ensuring investigations translate into stronger safety measures and improved infrastructure. Safety analysts warn that repeated mishaps at a single training hub point to systemic vulnerabilities that need urgent correction, rather than isolated pilot or technical failures.

As AAIB continues its probe into the fatal January 2026 crash, Baramati airstrip remains under scrutiny, with accidents over the past four years underscoring the risks at smaller but increasingly busy aviation hubs across the country.

The airstrip

Baramati MIDC Airport is owned by Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation

It functions as an uncontrolled airfield primarily used for pilot training and charter flights

It has single runway and lacks an Instrument Landing System and dedicated IMD weather services

Between 2022 and 2026, the airstrip has seen multiple training aircraft accidents, two serious incidents involving Red Bird Flight Training Academy aircraft

In October 2023, a bird strike-related crash landing in August 2025, and the fatal Learjet 45 crash on January 28, 2026, which claimed the life of deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar