Ajit Pawar Plane Crash: Black Box Recovered, Investigation Underway

Baramati, 30th January 2026: The cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder (FDR) of the Learjet 45 that crashed near Baramati airstrip were recovered on Thursday, a day after the tragic accident that claimed the life of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others. Authorities said the black boxes are critical for understanding the sequence of events that led to the crash.

A civil aviation ministry statement confirmed that the investigation is progressing swiftly following the recovery of the devices. A team of three officers from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) in Delhi, along with three officials from the Mumbai regional office of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), had reached the crash site on Wednesday to begin the probe.

A source familiar with the matter said data extraction from the black boxes could take two to four weeks. “The recorders will help determine the exact causes of the crash, including cockpit communications, pilot decisions, and interactions with air traffic control,” the source added.

Another official noted that authorities are carefully assessing whether the fire damaged the equipment or data, which could prolong the extraction process.

The Learjet 45, part of the Bombardier family, crashed at 8:44 am on Thursday near Baramati airstrip. Along with Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, the accident claimed the lives of his personal security officer Vidip Jadhav, pilot Captain Sumit Kapur, co-pilot Shambhavi Pathak, and flight attendant Pinky Mali.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said measures were taken to secure the crash site and prevent any interference with the investigation. “Local police have been instructed to fence off the area so investigators can carry out their work without any hindrance,” he said.

Naidu also assured Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis that the investigation has been initiated with full seriousness and that key findings would be shared with the state government.

According to industry sources, the use of helicopters and chartered aircraft has more than doubled compared to a decade ago. “Ten years ago, only the chief minister or deputy chief minister would fly on private aircraft. Now, most ministers and MLAs use jets during election campaigns. On average, private jets now fly over 100 hours per month compared to 30–40 hours a decade ago,” said an official.

The black boxes are now under careful examination, and investigators hope their findings will provide a detailed understanding of the crash and help prevent similar tragedies in the future.