By Admin 
On January 28, 2026, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP leader Ajit Pawar died in a plane crash. He was going from Mumbai to Baramati, Pune in a private plane. The plane was of Bombardier Learjet 45 model, whose registration number was VT-SSK. But as the investigation of this accident is progressing, the accident of 2023 is also coming to mind, because a similar plane had crashed 3 years ago.
What was the accident of 2023?
In 2023 also a plane of the same model crashed, but it was a different plane. That accident happened on 14 September 2023. The model of the plane was Bombardier Learjet 45XR, which is a small private jet. Its registration number was VT-DBL and the model of Ajit Pawar’s plane is VT-SSK. In the 2023 incident, it was a non-scheduled passenger flight, which was going from Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh to Mumbai. There were a total of 6 people on board the plane. The plane took off from Visakhapatnam without any problem. But upon reaching Mumbai airport, an accident occurred during landing at around 5:02 pm.
The plane had gone out of the runway at the time of landing
The plane contacted the airport tower and was given clearance to land on Runway 27 at exactly 5:01 pm. But the plane went out of the runway during landing. This is called ‘runway excursion’, that is, the plane has gone out of the useful space of the runway. Photos and video showed that a wing separated, causing a fire. The fuselage (main body) of the plane broke and it stopped next to the runway. A fire broke out immediately after the accident, but fire tenders quickly brought the fire under control.
What were the reasons for the accident?
The investigation report of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) said that the main reason for the plane crash was heavy rain and low visibility at Mumbai Airport. Flightradar24’s report also confirmed that the weather was very bad. There was heavy rain and low clouds, which made landing difficult. Although initial reports classified it as a runway excursion, there were no further details such as mechanical failure or pilot error.
The good thing is that all 6 people on board the plane survived. They suffered injuries and all were taken to the hospital. The AAIB investigated and issued a report, but no specific quotes or official statements were given in the article.
Wave of mourning across the country on the death of Ajit Pawar
Ajit Pawar was a big leader of NCP and was very influential in the politics of Maharashtra. There is a wave of mourning in the entire state due to his death. Many big leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee have expressed condolences. Maharashtra government has declared 3 days state mourning.