Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar died in a plane crash at Baramati airport on the morning of January 28, 2026. His Learjet 45, owned by VSR Ventures Pvt. Ltd., caught fire on the edge of the runway after multiple landing attempts. The aircraft struggled with poor visibility. The Civil Aviation Minister K. Ram Mohan Naidu confirmed this. Baramati airport has an "uncontrolled airfield," where pilots provide traffic information. The plane first contacted Baramati Air Traffic Control (ATC) at 8:18 a.m. It was flying 30 nautical miles away and was told to descend in visual conditions. The crew asked about the wind and visibility. They were told winds were calm and visibility was about 3,000 meters. The plane tried to land but could not see the runway on the first approach and went for a go-around. When asked again, the pilots said the runway was still not visible but later reported they could see it. The plane was cleared to land on Runway 11 at 8:43 a.m. However, it gave no read-back or response to the ATC clearance. A minute later, flames were seen near the runway. Emergency services rushed to the scene but all five people on board, including Ajit Pawar, died in the crash. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is investigating the crash. The DG of AAIB is on site. The plane is part of a fleet owned by VSR Ventures, which operates several jets and aircraft. It was last audited by the DGCA in February 2025 with no major issues. The aircraft was built in 2010 and had valid airworthiness certificates. The tragedy has shocked the state as investigations continue.