Ajit Pawar killed in Baramati plane crash — Who else was on board | India News

NEW DELHI: Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar was among five people killed when a chartered Learjet 45 crash-landed at Baramati airport on Wednesday morning, with all those on board confirmed dead. The flight had departed Mumbai earlier in the day before losing control during a landing attempt and bursting into flames on impact, officials said.Also read: PSO Vidip Jadhav among those killed with Ajit Pawar in Baramati plane crashAlongside Pawar, the victims included his Personal Security Officer, Vidip Jadhav, aircraft attendant Pinky Mali, pilot Captain Sumit Kapur and co-pilot Shambhavi Pathak.

Also read: Attendant Pinky Mali among Baramati plane crash victimsJadhav’s death brought grief to his neighbourhood in Vitawa, Thane. He lived with his family and is survived by his elderly parents, a nine-year-old son and a 14-year-old daughter. A neighbour said, “…We have known him ever since he moved here. Today, we lost a man who was friendly with everyone. This is very sad…This is an irreparable loss.”Pinky Mali, who frequently accompanied Pawar on official travel, had spoken to her father just a day earlier. Shiv Kumar Mali recalled, “She told me yesterday that she would be going to Baramati with Ajit Dada and that from there she would head to Nanded. She said she would call me from the hotel.” Describing how he learnt of the crash, he said, “When I switched on the TV and saw the news, my limbs started trembling.”Also read: Who were the pilots in Maharashtra deputy CM’s last flight?Captain Sumit Kapur, the pilot in command, had more than 16,500 hours of flying experience and was considered highly experienced. Co-pilot Shambhavi Pathak had studied aeronautics at the University of Mumbai and trained at the New Zealand International Commercial Pilot Academy, according to her professional profile.Officials said weather conditions were clear, with visibility of around 3,000–3,500 metres at the time. The Learjet 45, operated by VSR and registered as VT-SSK, was a mid-size business jet commonly used for charter and official travel.