AAIB releases preliminary report on Baramati plane crash

New Delhi, Feb 28 (PTI) The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on Saturday recommended that the aviation regulator DGCA may issue necessary directions to all operators flying VFR to uncontrolled airfields to strictly adhere to the laid-down standard operating procedures.

In its 22-page preliminary report on the VSR Venture's Learjet plane crash near Baramati in January that killed Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others, the aircraft accident probe agency AAIB also said that all aspects of the plane crash will be investigated to bring out facts, root causes and contributory factors.

"In view of the interim findings brought out so far, it is considered necessary to issue following interim safety recommendations so that necessary preventive actions can be taken promptly to enhance aviation safety.

"It is recommended that DGCA may issue necessary directions to all operators operating VFR flights to uncontrolled airfields to strictly adhere to the laid down standard operating procedures," the AAIB said.

Further, "necessary directions may also be issued to all the aerodrome operators/organisations responsible for handling the aerodrome services at the uncontrolled airfields to ensure that the flying operations (including Non-scheduled/Private/Charter operations) in the airfield are allowed only when the prevailing meteorological conditions are within the criteria laid down in the relevant DGCA regulations," the report said.

The aircraft, a Learjet, was cleared for landing at Baramati on the morning of January 28 after a go-around due to poor visibility, but after receiving the clearance, it did not give any read-back to the ATC, and moments later, it burst into flames on the edge of the runway.

"Later, the aircraft was heard transmitting "Oh S**t ... Oh S**t... " before it crash landed on the left side of the runway abeam runway 11 threshold," the report said.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four other persons on board a chartered aircraft were killed after it crashed barely 200 metres from the edge of a tabletop runway at Baramati airport.

The others killed in the tragedy were Captain Sumit Kapoor, who had a flying experience of 15,000 hours, co-pilot Capt. Shambhavi Pathak with 1,500 hours of flying, Personal Security Officer (PSO) Vidip Jadhav and flight attendant Pinky Mali. PTI IAS RAM MR