A Learjet 45, registered as VT-SSK, was involved in a fatal crash at Baramati Airport in India during the morning of January 28, 2026. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar was on board. This is what we know about the accident.
Playback of flight
Flight route analysis
A Learjet 45, registered as VT-SSK, departed Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (BOM/VABB) and was first seen airborne by Flightradar24 ADS-B receivers at 02:40 UTC (08:10 local time). It climbed westbound over the sea, reaching an altitude of 3,300 ft before turning south. Making its way east/southeast overland, it reached its cruising altitude of 19,000 ft at 02:50 UTC.
The aircraft appears to have attempted a visual approach to runway 11, Flightradar24 receivers picking up a signal from the aircraft at 03:06 UTC (08:36 local), revealing an altitude of 2,500 ft—compared to the airfield elevation of roughly 2,000 ft. Due to limited receiver coverage, the next available signal reveals the aircraft having aborted the landing attempt. Likely briefly passing over the runway, it turned north while accelerating and climbing a few hundred feet to 2,800 ft. It then positioned itself for what appears to be a new approach attempt for runway 11.
The last signal received from the aircraft was at 03:13 UTC (08:43 local), placing the aircraft west/northwest of the runway.
Airport
Baramati Airport is a small regional airport serving the city of Baramati in Pune district, Maharashtra, India. Located about 100 kilometers southeast of Pune, it primarily supports general aviation, charter flights, and government or private aircraft rather than scheduled commercial services. The airport plays a local but strategic role due to Baramati’s political and industrial significance, and it is frequently used for VIP and official movements.
The airport has a single runway (11/29) and limited infrastructure, designed to handle business jets, turboprops, and helicopters. Facilities are modest, with no large passenger terminal, reflecting its low traffic volume and specialized use.
Weather
Baramati airport doesn’t appear to have any automatic weather reporting system in place. The closest airport offering a valid METAR at the time of the crash was Navi Mumbai International Airport (VANM). The airport however is located 180 kilometres (112 miles) away, limiting the utility of the information. The active METAR in Mumbai at the time of the first approach (around 03:05 UTC/08:35 local time) was:
VANM 280300Z 02006KT 1800 HZ NSC 21/16 Q1018 NOSIG
While the “1800 HZ” indicates a relatively low visibility of 1800 metres and hazy visibility, it should again be noted that the information was gathered in Mumbai—a city with dense population and heavy traffic—meaning that the haze very well might be a phenomenon local to Mumbai.
We provide this weather information as it may have been the only official weather information available to the pilots at the time. If the local tower was staffed, pilots may have received more relevant information.
Flightradar24 data suggests the aircraft used a QNH (pressure) altimeter setting of 1020 throughout the approach phase.
Aircraft
Involved in the crash was a Bombardier Learjet 45XR, registered as VT-SSK. It was built in 2010 and operated by the VSR Group. It received its Indian registration on June 2nd 2021. This specific aircraft had previously been owned and operated by a number of US operators.
The Learjet 45 is a mid-sized business jet manufactured by Bombardier Aerospace. More than 640 aircraft were reportedly built between 1995 and 2012.
Casualties
All five people on board perished in the crash. This included Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar along with two crew members and two other passengers.
6 Responses
Hi, nearest commercial and defence airport is in fact Pune (VAPO). Weather at VAPO would be much more aligned with Baramati since both are inland, while VANM is coastal. By the way, local visibility at the time of crash was 3000m as reported in official update by DGCA India. And finally Baramati doesn’t have any precision approach facility, nor any nav-aid locally
VAPO appears to be using METAR data from VANM.
Not at all. It is a major Indian Air Force base with full fledged met and ATC facilities with ATIS broadcasts on the VOR frequency.
But VNAM is just one month into commercial operations.
VAPO is a joint use defence field and hence does not show its METAR on FR. However, it does indeed provide its own METAR and ATIS, and not that of VANM.
Latest visuals of flights last descent shows the flight was tilted.