New Delhi, Jan 28 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday spoke to senior Maharashtra leader Sharad Pawar following the death of his nephew and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a tragic plane crash near Baramati and expressed his condolences to the family. Ajit Pawar’s funeral will be held in Baramati on Thursday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are expected to attend the last rites. “I am deeply saddened by the tragic plane crash that occurred in Baramati, Maharashtra. I share in the grief of all those who have lost their loved ones in this accident. I pray that the bereaved families find strength and courage in this moment of sorrow,” the Prime Minister said in a post earlier in the day.

The news of Ajit Pawar’s death sent shockwaves across Maharashtra’s political landscape, with several senior leaders describing it as a “black day” for the state. Meanwhile, chilling details of the final moments before the crash have emerged. The crew of the Learjet 45 reportedly told air traffic personnel that the “runway is currently not in sight” seconds before the aircraft was cleared to land and subsequently burst into flames near the runway threshold.

Ajit Pawar and four others onboard, including two pilots, were killed in the fatal crash while attempting to land at the Baramati airfield. Pawar was scheduled to attend public programmes in Baramati later on Wednesday. According to a release issued by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the VSR Ventures Pvt Ltd-operated aircraft first contacted Baramati airfield at 8.18 am. Baramati is an uncontrolled airfield where traffic information is provided by instructors and pilots from local flying training organisations, the ministry said. “At about 30 nautical miles from Baramati, the aircraft was released by Pune approach control and advised to descend under visual meteorological conditions at the crew’s discretion,” the release stated.

The pilots later sought wind and visibility details and were informed that the winds were calm and the visibility was approximately 3,000 metres. Moments later, the aircraft reported being on final approach to Runway 11 but indicated that the runway was not visible. The crew initiated a go-around and repositioned for another approach. During the second attempt, the crew again reported being on final approach. When asked to confirm visual contact, they responded, “Runway is currently not in sight, will call when runway is in sight.” A few seconds later, they reported that the runway was visible.

At 8.43 am, the aircraft was cleared to land on Runway 11. However, no readback of the landing clearance was received, the release said. At 8.44 am, personnel at the airfield noticed flames near the threshold of the runway. Emergency services rushed to the spot, where the wreckage was found on the left side of Runway 11, close to the threshold.