“Oh S***”: Crew’s Last Words Before Ajit Pawar’s Plane Crashed in Baramati

Baramati, Maharashtra: The final moments aboard the ill-fated aircraft that crashed in Maharashtra’s Baramati on Wednesday were marked by panic, with the cockpit crew heard exclaiming “oh s***” seconds before impact, a senior Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) official said.

The crash claimed five lives, including Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, his personal security officer, an attendant, and the two cockpit crew members — pilot-in-command Sumit Kapur and first officer Shambhavi Pathak.

The Learjet 45, operated by Delhi-based VSR Ventures Pvt Ltd, went down at approximately 8:45 am during its second attempt to land at Baramati’s table-top airstrip.

Crash Occurred Inside Airport Perimeter

According to officials involved in the probe, the aircraft crashed significantly short of the runway threshold but remained well within the airport perimeter. The official privy to the investigation confirmed that the crew’s final cockpit utterance, captured on the cockpit voice recorder, was “oh s***.”

The DGCA official also noted that ground control services at Baramati airport are managed by pilot cadets from two private aviation academies located in the town — Redbird Aviation and Carver Aviation — which served as the aircraft’s primary point of contact.

Black Box Recovered, AAIB Begins Probe

Authorities have confirmed the recovery of the aircraft’s black box. “The cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder have been recovered,” the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) said in a statement on Thursday.

A team from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) visited the crash site on Wednesday evening and has initiated a detailed Forensic Investigation to determine the exact cause of the tragedy.

The Civil Aviation Ministry later released a statement outlining the sequence of events leading up to the crash, highlighting a key procedural lapse — the crew did not provide a readback of the final landing clearance.

Sequence of Events Before the Crash

The aircraft, registered as VT-SSK, first established contact with Baramati airport at 8:18 am. Pilot Sumit Kapur, who had logged over 15,000 flying hours, and co-pilot Shambhavi Pathak, with approximately 1,500 hours of experience, were briefed about prevailing weather conditions and advised to land at their own discretion.

When the crew sought clarification on wind conditions and visibility, Air Traffic control informed them that visibility was around 3,000 metres, which was considered adequate for landing.

The aircraft later reported its final approach to Runway 11. However, the pilot soon indicated that the runway was “not in sight” and was instructed to execute a go-around — a standard aviation safety procedure when landing conditions are deemed unsafe.

Following the go-around, the crew reconfirmed their position and once again reported being on final approach. At around 8:43 am, the aircraft was cleared to land after visibility confirmation. Investigators noted that no readback of this clearance was recorded.

At 8:44 am, air traffic control personnel noticed flames near the threshold of Runway 11, moments after which the crash was confirmed.

State Mourning for Ajit Pawar

Meanwhile, the funeral of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar is being held today in Baramati.

The last rites are being attended by several senior political figures, including NCP patriarch Sharad Pawar and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The Maharashtra government has announced three days of state mourning in memory of the veteran leader, widely known as “Dada.”