'Fit aircraft, experienced pilots': VSR owner defends Learjet after Pawar crash, rejects grounding

VSR Aviation owner VK Singh rules out technical failure in the Learjet that crashed at Baramati, says visibility issues may have led to a missed approach as DGCA probes the accident.

• VSR Aviation owner claims crashed Learjet was "absolutely fit" with no technical issues.
• DGCA begins formal investigation; operator fully cooperating with regulators
• Experienced pilots flew the aircraft; missed approach due to low visibility

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The owner of VSR Aviation, whose Learjet crashed at Baramati killing Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and four others, on Wednesday said the aircraft was 'absolutely fit' and ruled out any technical failure, as aviation regulators began a formal investigation into the accident.

VK Singh, owner of VSR Aviation, said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation was investigating the crash and that the operator was cooperating fully. “The aircraft was absolutely fit to the best of our knowledge,” Singh said, adding that neither he nor others were present in the cockpit at the time of the incident.

What the operator says happened

According to Singh, the pilots initially attempted a landing on runway 29 at Baramati, carried out a missed approach, and then made a second attempt on runway 11. “Primarily, it appears that the pilot could not see the runway,” he said, attributing the decision to abort the first landing to low visibility.

Singh said missed approaches are standard procedure when a pilot is not comfortable landing. “The pilot will carry out a missed approach in case he is not comfortable to land on the runway,” he said.

Crew experience highlighted

Defending the crew, Singh said the aircraft was flown by highly experienced pilots. Captain Sumit Kapoor, he said, had more than 16,000 hours of flying experience and had previously worked with Sahara, Jetlite and Jet Airways. The co-pilot had logged around 1,500 hours. Singh described both pilots as “extremely good human beings” and seasoned professionals.

“He was a brother to me,” Singh said of Kapoor, adding that the pilot’s son also works with the company. He said the co-pilot was “like a daughter” to him.

No grounding of fleet yet

Asked whether VSR Aviation would ground its Learjet 45 fleet, Singh said there was no basis to do so. “Why should I ground them? They are all fit aircraft,” he said, adding that the Learjet is a “very dependable aircraft” globally and that any such decision rests with regulators.

VSR Aviation operates seven Learjet 45 aircraft as part of a broader fleet.

Aircraft and regulatory history

The aircraft involved in the crash, a Learjet 45 registered as VT-SSK, was manufactured in 2010. Its Certificate of Registration was issued in December 2022, while its Certificate of Airworthiness dates to December 2021. The Airworthiness Review Certificate was issued in September 2025 and is valid until September 2026.

Since new, the aircraft had logged about 4,915 hours of flying time and nearly 5,900 cycles. The aircraft was powered by TFE731-20BR engines.

The DGCA last audited the operator in February 2025, with no Level-I findings reported. Another Learjet 45 operated by the company was involved in a runway excursion at Mumbai airport in September 2023, an incident that remains under investigation by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau.

Investigation ahead

Singh stressed that the investigation now lies solely with regulators. “The DGCA can only speak. I am not the investigating authority,” he said, adding that the company’s immediate focus was on supporting the families of those who lost their lives.

Ajit Pawar was travelling from Mumbai to Baramati to address public meetings ahead of the February 5 zilla parishad elections when the aircraft crashed during its landing attempt.