Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar died on Wednesday morning after the aircraft carrying him crashed and caught fire while landing at Baramati in Pune district, officials said.The 66-year-old Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader was travelling from Mumbai to his hometown for election meetings when the Learjet 45 went down near the runway, killing all five people on board.Pawar had left Mumbai early in the morning to campaign in Baramati, where he was scheduled to address four public meetings ahead of the February 5 zila parishad elections. The aircraft took off from Mumbai at 8.10 am. According to flight radar data, it disappeared from tracking around 8.45 am.Officials of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said there were five people on board, including two crew members — pilot in command and co-pilot. All occupants suffered fatal injuries.Eyewitnesses living near the airfield described scenes of panic and devastation. A woman said the aircraft appeared unstable as it descended. “The plane tilted before coming down. We saw an explosion and it was frightening,” she said, adding that several parts of the aircraft were hurled into the air and landed close to her house.Another eyewitness said the aircraft seemed to be losing control moments before the crash. “The way the plane was coming down, we felt it was going to crash. It was around 100 ft above the runway,” he said. As locals rushed towards the site, flames engulfed the aircraft. “There were four to five consecutive blasts. We could not go anywhere near it. Later, we learnt Ajit Pawar was on the aircraft. It was shocking,” he said.Baramati is an uncontrolled airfield, where traffic information is provided by instructors and pilots from flying training organisations rather than a dedicated air traffic control tower. According to the sequence of events recorded by the person handling air traffic communication, the aircraft first came in contact with Baramati at 8.18 am.The aircraft later reported being 30 nautical miles inbound and was released by Pune Approach. “The crew were advised to descend under visual meteorological conditions at their discretion. The pilots asked about wind and visibility and were informed that winds were calm and visibility was around 3,000 metres,” said the officials.During the first approach to runway 11, the crew reported that the runway was not in sight and initiated a go-around. After the go-around, the aircraft was again asked to report its position and soon reported being on final approach. The crew were asked to confirm when the runway was in sight. They initially said it was not visible and would call back. Seconds later, they reported that the runway was in sight.The aircraft was cleared to land on runway 11 at 8.43 am. However, officials said there was no readback of the landing clearance. At 8.44 am, flames were seen near the threshold of the runway. Emergency services rushed to the site, but the aircraft had already crashed and caught fire. The wreckage was found on the left side of the runway near the threshold.The Ministry of Civil Aviation confirmed that the aircraft, registered as VT-SSK, was a Learjet 45 manufactured in 2010 and operated by VSR Ventures Pvt Ltd, a non-scheduled operator. The company holds a valid permit and has a fleet of 17 aircraft, including seven Learjet 45s. A regulatory audit carried out by the DGCA in February 2025 had reported no level-I findings.The pilot in command held an airline transport pilot licence and had logged more than 15,000 flying hours. The co-pilot held a commercial pilot licence with around 1,500 flying hours. Both crew members had valid medical examinations and recent instrument rating and proficiency checks.“The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has taken over the investigation, and its Director General has reached the crash site. A probe has been initiated to determine the cause of the accident,” the officials said.The investigation will include the recovery and analysis of the flight recorder, enhanced ground proximity warning system and digital engine electronic systems. Investigators will also examine aircraft logbooks and crew records, and analyse radar data, air traffic communication recordings, CCTV footage and eyewitness statements to piece together the final moments of the flight.