Ajit Pawar plane crash | Preliminary report to be out on or before February 28: Minister Murlidhar Mohol

Mumbai: The Centre on Sunday assured that the preliminary report of the 28 January 2026 Learjet plane crash in Baramati in Pune district — in which Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister and NCP President Ajit Pawar and four others died — would be released by end of February.

“We have assured that there would be a thorough probe…the preliminary report would be out by 28 February…before one month it is mandatory to table the initial findings…it is 28 February…the report will be released by then,” Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol told reporters in Pune on Sunday.

According to Mohol, who is is also the BJP MP from Pune, said that from time to time the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had informed about the updates via-a-vis investigations being carried out by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).

After the crash at Baramati Airport complex in Pune district, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has asked the DGCA and AAIB to probe the accident that claimed five lives — Ajit Pawar (66), Captain Sumit Kapur, the Pilot‑in‑Command (PIC), Captain Sambhavi Pathak, the Second-in-Command (SIC), Pinky Mali, the Flight Attendant and Vidhit Jadhav, a Mumbai Police Constable, who was Personal Security Officer of the politician.

The investigation is being carried by AAIB out strictly in accordance with the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, 2017 and the international standards and recommended practices of International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Annex 13.

Besides, the Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is also the state Home Minister, has ordered a probe by State-Crime Investigation Department (CID).

On the other hand, Ajit Pawar’s wife and Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, accompanied by elder son Parth Pawar, had met Fadnavis along with senior leaders of the party and called for a CBI probe into the accident.

Ajit Pawar’s younger son Jay Pawar too refused to believe that the Black Box sustained damage during the accident and the resultant fire and explosions.

Ajit Pawar’s nephew and NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar has addressed a series of press conferences pointing out what could have gone wrong and called for the resignation of removal of Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu till the probe is over.

Rohit Pawar has also written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Besides, the MoCA has also asked the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to carry out special audits of other major non-scheduled operators and aerodromes engaged in VIP/VVIP operations.

These audits are being conducted in phases and appropriate enforcement action will be taken wherever required.

The Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR), manufactured by L3-Communications, has been successfully downloaded at the AAIB Flight Recorder Laboratory.

The Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR), manufactured by Honeywell, is undergoing detailed technical examination.