MLA Rohit Pawar has raised serious concerns regarding the plane crash that claimed the life of Deputy CM Ajit Pawar on January 28, 2026. In a recent statement, he alleged that the pilot was under pressure to land at the Baramati airstrip despite poor visibility conditions. He claimed that if the flight had been diverted to another airport like Pune, the operator would have lost approximately 10 lakh rupees in pre-booked charges. These allegations have sparked a fresh debate around the safety standards followed during the flight.
What are the main allegations about the landing?
Rohit Pawar pointed out that the visibility at the time of the crash was only 3 km, while rules require at least 5 km for a safe landing at such airfields. Baramati is an uncontrolled airfield and does not have an Instrument Landing System (ILS), making visual clarity very important. He questioned if the decision to land was driven by financial reasons rather than safety protocols. He also asked why the transponder of the aircraft was switched off just one minute before the accident happened.
How is the government responding to these claims?
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has taken note of these questions and stated that all doubts need to be cleared. He confirmed that the Black Box of the aircraft has been found and data analysis is currently going on. The Maharashtra CID has also started a parallel investigation to look into the matter deeply. Following the incident, the DGCA has ordered a special safety audit of all non-scheduled charter plane operators to ensure strict compliance with safety rules.
