Union Minister Ram Mohan Naidu
Credit: Reuters Photo
Pune: Union Aviation Minister K Ram Mohan Naidu on Wednesday said that as per the preliminary information, visibility at the Baramati airport was poor when the aircraft carrying Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar crashed.
Pawar and four others on board died after the chartered plane crashed on Wednesday morning.
Naidu and Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol flew to Pune from Delhi to attend Pawar's last rites.
"Teams from the DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) and AAIB (Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau) have arrived to carry out a probe into the accident. Preliminary information suggests that visibility was poor at the time the aircraft was attempting to land," said Naidu.
When ATC Baramati asked the pilot whether the runway was in sight, the response was negative, following which the aircraft executed a go-around, he said.
During the second landing attempt, ATC again asked whether the runway was in sight, to which the pilot responded in the affirmative, the minister said.
After the ATC granted landing clearance, the aircraft crashed, Naidu said, adding, "We are seeking more details and will conduct the investigation in a transparent manner."