Jet involved in Ajit Pawar plane crash has history of accidents

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others died on Wednesday morning when a chartered aircraft crash-landed at Baramati airport, according to a preliminary report by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

According to the report, the plane that crashed was a Learjet 45.

History: The Learjet 45 is a midsize business jet introduced in the late 1990s, marking Canadian aerospace manufacturer Bombardier’s first all-new Learjet design in decades. Used globally for charter, corporate and medical flights, the aircraft remained in production until 2013, with a later extended-range variant introduced to improve performance and operating flexibility.


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The jet has been a part of other plane incidents in the past as documented in aviation safety records, including:

1. November 4, 2008 in Mexico City, Mexico: A government-operated Learjet 45 crashed during approach to Mexico City’s international airport after encountering wake turbulence from a larger aircraft, killing all nine people on board and seven on the ground, a CNN report said. The crash prompted renewed scrutiny of wake-turbulence separation standards for business jets.

2. June 1, 2003 in Milan, Italy: A Learjet 45 struck birds shortly after takeoff from Milan-Linate Airport, leading to loss of control and a crash during the attempted return, a Flighglobal report showed. Both pilots were killed.

3. February 21, 2021 in Veracruz, Mexico: A Learjet 45 operated by the Mexican Air Force crashed shortly after takeoff from El Lencero airport, killing all six military personnel on board. Authorities cited loss of control during departure, according to AFP.

4. July 2009 – Telluride, United States: A Learjet 45XR was damaged beyond repair during a landing accident at the high-altitude Telluride airport. All occupants survived, report from Aviation Safety Network showed.

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5. September 1998 in Wallops Island, United States: A Learjet 45 conducting test operations at the Wallops Flight Facility lost control during the landing roll and collided with a ground vehicle, Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archive data showed. The aircraft was destroyed, but no fatalities were reported.

6. September 14, 2023 in Mumbai, India: A Learjet 45 veered off the runway while landing at Mumbai airport during heavy rain, sustaining substantial damage, the archives data showed. All occupants survived, and authorities attributed the incident to adverse weather conditions.