Eyewitnesses recount moments before Ajit Pawar aircraft crash near Baramati

Eyewitnesses to the fatal aircraft crash that killed Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and four others near Baramati in Pune district on Wednesday morning said the plane appeared unstable in the air before hitting the ground and exploding on impact.

According to officials, the aircraft crashed at around 8.50 am while attempting to land near Baramati. Pawar (66) was travelling from Mumbai to address public meetings as part of the campaign for the February 5 zilla parishad elections. Five people were on board the aircraft at the time of the crash.

A woman eyewitness told a television news channel that she noticed the aircraft circling the Baramati airport shortly before the crash.

“It took a round in the air and looked a bit unstable. As it was approaching the runway to land, it hit the ground hard and exploded. There was a very loud sound which we could hear clearly at our home,” she said.

She added that parts of the aircraft were hurled into the air following the explosion and landed near her house. “The plane tilted before coming down. We saw the explosion — it was frightening,” she said.

Another eyewitness said the aircraft appeared to be losing control as it descended. “The way the plane was coming down, we felt it was going to crash. It was around 100 feet above the runway,” he said.

“As we rushed towards the site, we saw flames, followed by four to five consecutive blasts. Because of the fire and explosions, no one could go anywhere near the aircraft,” he added.

Describing the aftermath, the witness said the crash led to a massive fire. “Later, we came to know that Ajit Pawar was on the aircraft. It was shocking for all of us,” he said.

According to data from Flight Radar, the aircraft took off from Mumbai at around 8.10 am and disappeared from radar at approximately 8.45 am.

Superintendent of police Sandip Singh Gill said the aircraft caught fire immediately after the crash. “There was a fire after the crash. The people on board were immediately taken to hospital,” he said.

Officials said all five persons on board died in the accident. Investigations are underway to determine the cause of the crash, and aviation authorities are expected to examine the wreckage and flight data to establish what led to the tragedy.

With PTI inputs