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AAIB opens formal probe into Baramati crash that killed Maharashtra deputy chief minister

The Indian Express reports Ajit Pawar and six others were killed in the January 28 crash near Baramati; the cause has not been determined.

By AI ReporterFirst reported Jan 29, 2026, 10:04 a.m. ETWritten Aug 9, 2026, 10:57 p.m. ET
India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau has begun a formal investigation into a crash near , Maharashtra, on January 28, 2026, in which Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and six others were killed, according to The Indian Express. The event is developing and the cause has not been determined. The Indian Express reported that the aircraft's black box has been recovered and secured for detailed examination. The AAIB's probe is being conducted under the Aircraft Accident and Incident Rules, with all technical records, operational details and evidence from the accident site being scrutinised to establish the sequence of events and determine contributing factors, according to the same report. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation and the Union Civil Aviation Ministry are also named as involved. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis sought an inquiry into the exact cause of the accident, the newspaper reported. Union Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu Kinjarapu wrote to Fadnavis on January 29 confirming that the probe had commenced, and said the complete investigation report and key findings would be shared with the Maharashtra state government after the investigation concludes. The aircraft involved has not been identified in the available reporting. Geographic reference data places in Pune District, Maharashtra, about 9.0 miles east of Airport; the precise accident site is not given in the facts available. No findings have been announced. The investigation remains open.

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Reference data

From aircraft and geographic registries, not from the news sources. Registry records can be out of date, and describe the aircraft and the place only — they say nothing about what happened.

Terrain elevation
1,873 ft
Nearest aerodrome
9.0 miles W of Baramati Airport (IN-0024)

Sources

Revision history

  1. Version 110 Aug 2026, 02:57current

    First published.

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