As investigators began piecing together the events that led up to the plane crash that killed Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on Wednesday, attention turned to a 2023 aviation accident involving the same aircraft model — the Bombardier Learjet 45XR.
It's important to note that while the make of the aircraft was the same, the 2023 runway incursion in Mumbai involved a different small jet. Pawar was travelling in a Learjet 45 aircraft with the registration label VT-SSK. The aircraft involved in the earlier accident had the registration label VT-DBL. On Wednesday, Pawar's aircraft attempted to land in Baramati when it veered off the runway and split into two parts, according to preliminary information.
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What happened in 2023
The Learjet 45XR aircraft, on 14 September 2023, operating a non-scheduled passenger flight from Visakhapatnam to Mumbai with six passengers on board met with an accident while landing at the Mumbai airport around 5:02 PM IST, according to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).
The flight took off without any incident from Visakhapatnam. As it approached Mumbai, the aircraft contacted the airport tower and was instructed to prepare for landing. It was cleared to land on Runway 27 at 5:01:09 PM IST.
{{/usCountry}}The flight took off without any incident from Visakhapatnam. As it approached Mumbai, the aircraft contacted the airport tower and was instructed to prepare for landing. It was cleared to land on Runway 27 at 5:01:09 PM IST.
{{/usCountry}}Photo and video footage of the accident circulating on social media showed that at least one wing of the aircraft separated during the crash, triggering a fire. The fuselage broke apart, and the aircraft came to a stop next to the runway.
Poor weather, low visibility
At the time of the 2023 crash, the Mumbai airport was experiencing heavy rain and low visibility, the AAIB said in its probe report. A Flightradar24 report also pointed that the aircraft was attempting to land in poor weather, with heavy rain and low clouds in the area.
Initial reports described the accident as a runway excursion, a term used when an aircraft leaves the usable area of the runway.
Following the crash, a fire broke out at the site. Fire tenders rushed in and quickly extinguished the flames. All six passengers and the crew were evacuated, but sustained injuries from the impact and were immediately taken to the nearest hospital for treatment.
A full investigation into the Ajit Pawar plane crash is yet to be completed, but officials have not ruled out poor weather as a factor. Flight logs indicate that the pilot reported low visibility near the runway during the first landing attempt, officials said.
The aircraft was ultimately making a second approach, during which it reportedly lost control while landing and crashed, bursting into flames on impact.
The flight disappeared from radar around 8:45 am and crashed near the airport at approximately 8:50 am.