Ajit Pawar crash: Aviation ministry to release preliminary report within 30 days | India News

NEW DELHI: The civil aviation ministry on Thursday said the preliminary report into the Paramatilir jet crash that killed former Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and four others will be released within 30 days of the accident.In a statement issued through the Press Information Bureau (PIB), the ministry reiterated that the investigation was conducted by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) in accordance with established laws and global aviation standards.“Following previous announcements on 17 February 2026, the Ministry of Transport reiterates that the investigation into the Learjet 45 (VT-SSK) accident at Baramati on 28 January 2026 is being conducted by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) in strict accordance with the Aircraft (Accident and Incident Investigation) Rules, 2025 and the Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) contained in the ICAO Annex 13,” the statement read. The ministry provided details of the flight recorder recovered from the plane, saying technical inspections were underway. The ministry further said, “The aircraft was equipped with two independent flight recorders. The Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR), manufactured by L3 Communications, was successfully downloaded at the AAIB facility in New Delhi. The Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) suffered thermal damage. As it is manufactured by Honeywell, technical assistance has been sought from the country of design/manufacturing as per ICAO Annex 13, paragraph 5.7 and Annex D.“Regarding the timeline for the investigation, the ministry clarified: “In accordance with ICAO norms, a preliminary report will be issued within 30 days of the incident and a final report will be issued in due course.”The PIB press release further emphasized that AAIB investigations are technical and evidence-based and involve systematic examination of the wreckage, operating and maintenance records, and laboratory testing of components where required.On the regulatory front, the ministry said that during 2025, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) conducted 51 regulatory audits on non-scheduled operators. It added that multiple surveillance operations were conducted on the aircraft operator M/s VSR Ventures in areas such as flight safety systems, flight duty time limits, maintenance compliance (CAR M and CAR 145), documentation and station facilities and “all surveillance findings have been processed and closed.“After the accident, the ministry directed the DGCA to conduct a special audit of M/s VSR Ventures. According to a PIB release, the audit involved “a comprehensive review of regulatory compliance, operational control systems, maintenance practices, crew training standards, safety management systems and CVR/FDR monitoring.” The audit began on February 4 and is expected to conclude soon, with the findings to be reviewed and acted upon in accordance with DGCA’s Enforcement Policies and Procedures Manual.The ministry also asked the Civil Aviation Authority to conduct special audits of other major non-scheduled operators and airports engaged in VIP/VVIP operations. These audits are being conducted in phases and appropriate enforcement action will be taken where required.“The Ministry and its regulators remain fully committed to transparency, safety oversight and accountability. Stakeholders are asked not to speculate and allow statutory investigation and regulatory processes to proceed in accordance with established procedures,” the statement read.The clarification comes amid political demands for a separate investigation. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Tuesday sought a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into Pawar’s death.A delegation of senior party leaders, including his wife Sunetra Pawar, NCP national working president and MP Praful Patel, state president and MP Sunil Tatkare, Maharashtra minister Hasan Mushrif and youth leader Parth Pawar paid a visit to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis Fadnavis submitted a memorandum seeking an investigation led by India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).Ajit Pawar and four others were killed when Learjet 45 (VT-SSK) crashed while trying to land at Baramati Airport in Pune district on the morning of January 28.