New Delhi, February 28 The ill-fated LearJet 45 XR aircraft banked towards the right, hit trees and then the ground before catching fire at the Baramati airport on January 28.
The preliminary report from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) into the crash, which has also raised concerns and political repercussions, also stated that the technician did not find any abnormalities during post-flight checks on January 27 when the plane had returned to Mumbai after a flight.
Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Ajit Pawar, and four others were killed in the crash of the aircraft that was flying from Mumbai to Baramati.
The AAIB, citing CCTV footage from a nearby village where the crash occurred, stated that the aircraft was observed to have banked towards the right before impacting the terrain.
"The aircraft first impacted the trees before hitting the ground, which is at a lower elevation than the runway surface... the aircraft was engulfed in fire during which the entire cockpit and cabin section was burnt," the 22-page preliminary report said.
On January 26, the VT-SSK aircraft, owned by VSR Ventures, operated a charter flight for the Mumbai-Surat-Mumbai sector.
This flight landed back in Mumbai late at night at approximately 0020 hours on January 27.
"The operating crew of that flight stated that they did not find any abnormalities in the aircraft during the entire flight, and the flight on that day was uneventful," the report said.
"The technician who was available for the arrival of the aircraft at Mumbai stated that no abnormalities were observed during the post-flight inspection," the report said.
Providing details about the flight preparation and departure, the report said the aircraft was given take-off clearance at around 8.09.51 am, and after contacting the Pune ATC, the plane came into contact with the Baramati Tower at 8.19.25 am.
Later, the controller informed the pilots that the visibility was three kilometers.
However, the aircraft continued its approach and subsequently performed a go-around.
"During the second approach, the aircraft reported that the runway was in sight, and subsequently, landing clearance was given by the Baramati Tower for runway 11," the report said.
"The tower also informed the pilots that the wind conditions were calm. Later, the aircraft was heard transmitting "Oh St... Oh St...", before it crash-landed on the left side of the runway, abeam the threshold of runway 11," the report said.
According to the AAIB, the visibility at the time of the crash was only three kilometers, while the minimum visibility was five kilometers.
The agency also stated that the resurfacing of the lone runway at the Baramati airport was completed in March 2016, and that the runway markings were fading, along with the presence of loose gravels on the runway surface.
Among other aspects, the report noted that the Pilot In Command (PIC), who was 61 years old, had a rest period of 34 hours before the January 28 flight, while the 25-year-old had a rest period of 9 days and 15 hours.
