Probe into September 2023 Learjet crash in Mumbai airport in final stages

Mumbai: Two-and-a-half-years after the Learjet crash at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) in Mumbai, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) said that the investigations were in the final stages.

The January 28, 2025 air crash in Baramati, in which Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister and NCP president Ajit Pawar and four others died, also involved a Learjet which was owned by VSR Ventures Pvt Ltd.

The AAIB statement came in the wake of questions being asked about the Mumbai crash after the Baramati incident.

On September 14, 2023, a Learjet 45 aircraft, bearing registration no VT-DBL, operated by VSR Ventures Pvt Ltd, which had taken off from Visakhapatnam, nosedived and veered off the runway amid heavy rains and poor visibility conditions at the CSMIA.

Eight persons, who were on board, were identified as Captain Sunil, the pilot and Captain Neil, the first officer, passengers Dhruv Kotak, K. K. Krishnadas, Aakarsh Shethi, Arul Sali, Lars Sorensen from Denmark and Kamakshi.

In a brief statement, the AAIB said: “The aircraft had earlier taken-off from Visakhapatnam Airport and while landing at Mumbai airport, the aircraft continuously drifted to the right of Runway 27 and crash landed at the shoulder of the intersection of Taxiway W and N.”

“There were two crew and six passengers on board. The co-pilot suffered serious injury, whereas the pilot-in-command and six passengers suffered minor injuries. The co-pilot could not be interviewed for a long time since he was in bad shape. The aircraft was destroyed during the accident,” it said.

“The investigation team prepared a detailed preliminary report on the accident which included the initial outcome of the flight recorders and published the report on AAIB website. The investigation team has analysed all the evidence and other documents. The investigation is in final stages. The investigation team is trying their best to finalise the report on top priority,” the AAIB said.