Sunetra Pawar meets Devendra Fadnavis, demands CBI probe into Ajit Pawar plane crash

Sunetra Pawar

• NCP leaders demand CBI probe into Ajit Pawar plane crash
• Probe adheres to ICAO standards, says Civil Aviation Ministry
• Flight data recovered, cockpit voice recorder being reviewed

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Senior leaders of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), including Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday to demand a CBI investigation into the January 28 plane crash that killed Ajit Pawar.

This is not the first time that a member of the Pawar family raised doubts regarding the manner of the crash. Questions about the crash had earlier been raised by Rohit Pawar, Ajit Pawar’s nephew and NCP (SP) MLA. Rohit Pawar has repeatedly questioned the slow pace of the investigation, alleging possible negligence and regulatory failures by Delhi-based VSR Ventures, the operator of the aircraft.

The crash occurred in Baramati, Pune district, when a Learjet 45 aircraft carrying Ajit Pawar and four others went down while attempting to land. All five on board, including then Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, died in the accident.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has successfully downloaded data from the Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) of the Learjet 45 (VT-SSK) that crashed in Baramati on January 28.

In a detailed statement issued Tuesday, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said the investigation is being conducted "strictly in accordance with the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, 2017 and the international standards and recommended practices of ICAO Annex 13."

According to the ministry, the aircraft was fitted with two independent flight recorders. "Both recorders were exposed to intense heat for a prolonged period during the accident and sustained fire damage," the statement said.

"The Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR), manufactured by L3-Communications, has been successfully downloaded at the AAIB Flight Recorder Laboratory. The Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR), manufactured by Honeywell, is undergoing detailed technical examination," it further noted.

The ministry also said that assistance has been sought from the Accredited Representative of the State of Manufacture for specialised support in retrieving data from the damaged recorder.