Baramati/ Mumbai: The last rites of former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar were performed on Thursday at the Vidya Pratishthan ground in Katewadi, Baramati. His sons, Parth Pawar and Jay Pawar, lit the funeral pyre.
Pawar’s wife, Sunetra Pawar, paid her final respects by offering Ganga water on his mortal remains. His uncle Sharad Pawar, cousin Supriya Sule, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah were present at the funeral.
People from across Maharashtra and several other states arrived in Baramati to attend the last rites. A large influx of people began late Wednesday night, leading to traffic congestion in several areas by morning. Supporters reached the venue on motorcycles, tractors, trolleys, and buses. During the funeral procession, crowds stretched for nearly one to two kilometers.
Ajit Pawar’s chartered plane crashed near Baramati airport at around 8:45 am on Wednesday. He was 66 years old. The aircraft met with the accident while attempting to land at Baramati airfield.
The crash claimed the lives of five people, including Pawar, his security personnel, two pilots, and a female crew member. Pawar was scheduled to address four rallies on February 5 in connection with the upcoming district council elections in Pune. Following his death, the Maharashtra government has announced three days of state mourning.
Baramati airfield is an uncontrolled airfield, meaning it does not have an Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower; instead, flying training organization instructors provide traffic-related information. The aircraft made its first contact with Baramati at 8:18 am. The next call was made when the aircraft was about 30 nautical miles (approximately 55 km) from the landing site.
Pune Approach cleared the aircraft for Baramati and advised a landing under Visual Meteorological Conditions (VMC), allowing the pilot to land at their discretion if weather conditions were suitable and the runway was visible, without the use of advanced landing aids.
The pilot later inquired about wind and visibility and was informed that the wind was calm and visibility was around 3,000 meters. The aircraft reported being on final approach to Runway 11 but stated that the runway was not visible. Instead of landing, the aircraft began circling in the air.
After some time, the crew reported that they were again on final approach for Runway 11. When asked whether the runway was visible, the crew replied that it was not visible at that moment but would inform once it came into view. A few seconds later, the crew reported that the runway was visible.
At 8:43 am, the aircraft was cleared to land on Runway 11, but no readback of the landing clearance was received. At 8:44 am, air traffic personnel observed flames near the threshold of Runway 11. Emergency services were immediately dispatched to the site.
The wreckage of the aircraft was found near the threshold of Runway 11, about 50 meters to the left of the runway. The investigation into the crash has now been taken over by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).
