Daijiworld Media Network - Baramati

Baramati, Mar 4: NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar on Wednesday intensified his attack on VSR Ventures and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), alleging serious discrepancies in the preliminary report released by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) into the plane crash that claimed the life of former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar.

Rohit questioned the intent and credibility of the report, claiming it incorrectly stated that the aircraft had collided with trees despite there being no trees in the vicinity of Baramati airport.

“The AAIB report said that the aircraft collided with trees but there were no trees in the vicinity except some bushes that are far from the accident spot. The aircraft didn’t even touch them. The observation made by them is completely wrong,” he said.

He also raised doubts about the report’s observation regarding the direction in which the aircraft tilted before crashing. “The report claims the plane banked to the right, but the footage clearly shows it tilting to the left. If they can’t even get the direction of the fall right, how can we trust the rest of the report?” he asked.

Displaying photographs purportedly showing the aircraft’s black box, Rohit claimed it appeared undamaged. He alleged that a DGCA deputy director, Ramachandran, had signed a document at the Baramati police station stating that the black box was intact. However, the DGCA later stated that both components — the flight data recorder (FDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR) — had sustained heat damage in the crash.

The Learjet 45 aircraft owned by VSR Ventures had crashed in Baramati on January 28, killing all five persons on board. The AAIB released its preliminary report on February 28, nearly a month after the accident.

Rohit alleged attempts to manipulate the probe to protect VSR Ventures and influential individuals who had invested in the charter firm. He further claimed that locals had reported a recce of the Baramati airport by unidentified persons prior to the crash, suggesting that the possibility of a pre-planned conspiracy must be investigated.

He pointed out that the aircraft’s black box had been replaced in May 2021 and was equipped with the latest technology. “It means it was manufactured with the latest technology even though the aircraft was 16 years old, so there is no possibility that it is going to be damaged like this,” he asserted.

He further alleged that either the old black box was not replaced as claimed, or the damage theory was being used to shield officials. “If it is revealed that the old black box was not replaced, DGCA officials will be in trouble, thus they are claiming that the black box has sustained damage and the AAIB report was manipulated,” he accused.

Rohit suggested that the matter could be verified by comparing model and serial numbers with the manufacturing company Honeywell.

He also said the preliminary report appeared to validate some of his earlier allegations, including claims that the aircraft had exceeded its permitted usage by 3,000 flying hours, that visibility in Baramati was low on the day of the crash, that excess fuel had been refilled, and that Ajit Pawar’s travel had not been scheduled for that day.