The preliminary report into the Baramati plane crash that killed senior NCP leader and former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has brought out a series of serious safety lapses, with investigators finding that the aircraft was allowed to land at an airfield lacking basic infrastructure and under weather conditions that did not meet minimum safety requirements.The findings show that the flight Learjet 45 was cleared to land even though visibility was significantly below prescribed limits, at an uncontrolled airfield with no proper navigation or meteorological systems, raising concerns about how routine VIP operations were being carried out in such conditions.According to the report released by AAIB on Saturday, the crew was told that visibility was 3,000 metres at the time of landing. This was significantly lower than the 5,000 metres required for operations under Visual Flight Rules.“Hence, the visibility reported at Baramati at the time of landing of aircraft was well below the minima required for VFR flight, which is 5000 meters (5 Km),” the report said.The aircraft was attempting to land on runway 11 when it crashed. The report further said that it “crash landed on the left of the runway abeam threshold of runway 11.” CCTV footage showed that the aircraft banked to the right before impact. It first struck trees before hitting the ground, which was at a lower elevation than the runway surface, about 50 metres away from its edge. The aircraft was engulfed in fire, during which the entire cockpit and cabin section was burnt, and it was destroyed in the accident.The findings also revealed that the Baramati airfield lacks even basic infrastructure required for safe operations. The report noted that the airport is an uncontrolled airfield and does not have any navigational aids other than wind socks.” Even these were not properly placed, as “No wind sock was available towards runway 11 side,” it said.There is also no proper weather reporting system at the airfield. “There is no MET facility available at Baramati Airfield. The weather information, such as winds, temperature, and QNH, is generally passed on to the aircraft with the help of a weather instrument installed in the temporary tower of M/s Carver Aviation. The visibility information is issued to the aircraft based on the visibility chart prepared by the flying training organizations, having identified different visibility markers,” it read.On the day of the crash, the tower was not manned by a trained air traffic controller. The report said that the tower was manned by a ground instructor of one of the FTOs who was communicating with the aircraft to assist the landing. “The crew of VT-SSK asked for visibility while approaching Baramati, for which the tower replied as 3000 meters by looking at the visibility markers,” it said.The condition of the runway has also come under question. The last resurfacing was done in March 2016, and since then, no re-carpeting has been carried out. This has led to “fading of all the runway markings and presence of loose gravel on the runway surface.”Other safety gaps were also found. The report said that there is no boundary wall around the aerodrome. “The available fencing is not adequate and does not cover the entire aerodrome. Baramati airport does not have an in-house ARFF (Aircraft Rescue & Fire Fighting) unit,” it said.Despite these shortcomings, the airfield continues to handle flying training and non-scheduled operations, including VIP flights. The report noted that both pilots had flown to Baramati earlier and were aware of the topography of the airfield and had prior experience of operating VIP and non-scheduled flights to uncontrolled airfields. It also recorded that the aircraft’s technical logbook was carried on board on the day of departure.The investigation is still underway. Data from the flight recorder has been downloaded and is being analysed. The cockpit voice recorder will be examined with help from the National Transportation Safety Board, as per ICAO norms.In its interim recommendations, the report has asked the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to ensure stricter compliance with rules for flights operating to uncontrolled airfields. It has recommended that operations should only be allowed when weather conditions meet prescribed standards, and called for improved landing aids and basic meteorological facilities.The report further noted that with an increase in non-scheduled and chartered flights, including VIP movements, there is a need to ensure that safety standards at such airfields are properly maintained and monitored.