MLA Rohit Pawar has raised serious questions regarding the plane crash of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. He has alleged that despite bad weather and low visibility, the pilot was pressurized to land the plane at Baramati itself. Rohit Pawar says that if the plane had been diverted to Pune or anywhere else, the pre-booked fare of about Rs 10 lakh would have gone waste. 5 people including Ajit Pawar lost their lives in this accident.
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What is the controversy regarding visibility and rules?
Rohit Pawar told that at the time of landing the visibility was only 3 kilometers, whereas according to DGCA rules it should be at least 5 kilometers for a safe landing. There is no ATC tower at Baramati airstrip and Instrument Landing System (ILS) facility is also not available there. In such a situation, it is necessary to follow Visual Flight Rules (VFR), but here it is being said that the rules are ignored.
Update from Chief Minister Fadnavis and investigating agencies
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis confirmed on 11 February that the plane’s black box had been found and the data was being verified. He has assured that the doubts raised by Rohit Pawar will be clarified. DGCA has ordered a safety check of all charter aircraft operators after this accident. At the same time, Maharashtra CID has also started investigating the case.
Transponder: Rohit Pawar claims that the plane’s transponder was deliberately switched off one minute before the crash.
International Inquiry: He has demanded an investigation by international agencies like America (NTSB) or France (BEA).
Old Records: It is alleged that the European agency had already raised questions on the safety standards of the aircraft operator company VSR Ventures.