Bombardier Learjet 45: The aircraft that crashed with Ajit Pawar on board

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar died in a plane crash, on Wednesday (January 28, 2026), in Baramati. Four other people on board the private aircraft, including the pilot and co-pilot were also killed.

Pawar was travelling on a Bombardier Learjet 45 business jet, owned by a Delhi-based firm VSR Ventures Pvt. Ltd. The Learjet 45 (LJ45), a mid-size business jet aircraft produced by the Learjet Division of Bombardier Aerospace

On September 14, 2023, Learjet 45 aircraft VT-DBL, operating a flight from Vizag to Mumbai with six passengers and two crew members on board, veered off the runway at Mumbai International Airport. The incident occurred at approximately 17:02 p.m.

Also read | Ajit Pawar plane crash LIVE

The incident halted the flight operations at Mumbai international airport for an hour and 45 minutes. Photographs of the Bombardier Learjet 45 went viral showing two broken parts from the cockpit portion, due to the impact of the accident. The eight people on board, including two pilots, sustained injuries.

Learjet involved in crash in Mexico in 2008

In November 4, 2008 when the plane was carrying Mexican Secretary of the Interior Juan Camilo Mouriño with nine other people on board, it crashed in Central Mexico city. The plane also killed seven people on the ground in its desperate attempt for an emergency landing. In its approach to Mexico City International Airport, the Learjet 45 experienced strong turbulence. Leading to which, the plane nose dived and claimed the lives of everyone on board. Though the pilots were able to reduce the angle of descent, but they failed to regain control due to excessive speed and insufficient altitude.

Similarly, in the year 2003, the business jet crashed after a scheduled takeoff from Milane Linate Airport. The plane hit a flock of birds moments after it left ground, and officials claimed to have found the dead remains of the birds on the runway. The incident led both the pilots succumb to the deadly crash. The pilot’s attempt to return to airport proved futile as they failed to gain control of the aeroplane. Fortunately, the plane had no passengers on board.