A supporter of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar pays homage near his photograph at the Nationalist Congress Party office in Mumbai on January 28, 2026.
| Photo Credit: AP
Union Aviation Minister K. Ram Mohan Naidu on Wednesday (January 28, 2026) said that as per preliminary information, visibility at the Baramati airport was poor when the aircraft carrying Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar crashed.
Mr. Pawar and four others on board died in the crash. Mr. Naidu and Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol flew to Pune from Delhi to attend Mr. Pawar’s last rites.
“Teams from the DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) and AAIB (Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau) have arrived to carry out a probe into the accident. Preliminary information suggests that visibility was poor at the time the aircraft was attempting to land,” said Mr. Naidu.
When ATC Baramati asked the pilot whether the runway was in sight, the response was negative, following which the aircraft executed a go-around, he said.
During the second landing attempt, ATC again asked whether the runway was in sight, to which the pilot responded in the affirmative, the Minister said.
After the ATC granted landing clearance, the aircraft crashed, Mr. Naidu said, adding, “We are seeking more details and will conduct the investigation in a transparent manner.”
Published – January 28, 2026 03:55 pm IST
