Baramati Air Crash: Pilot Apparently Opted For 'Missed Approach' Due To Poor Visibility, Says Firm Owner

Mumbai: V K Singh, owner of VSR Ventures, whose aircraft carrying Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar crashed in Baramati on Wednesday, said the pilot apparently could not see the runway and carried out a "missed approach", a standardised procedure in such cases. The ill-fated aircraft was "very well-maintained", and its pilot, Captain Sumit Kapoor, was a very seasoned and experienced pilot who had clocked 16,000 flying hours, he told reporters.

All five people on board the Learjet 45 died in the crash. Captain Kapoor was an "instructor and examiner material" and had worked with Sahara Airlines, Jetlite and Jet Airways in the past, Singh said, adding that he had experience of flying the Learjet 45. Kapoor's son also works in his company, he said.

Co-pilot Captain Shambhavi Pathak, who was among the deceased, was like a daughter to him, said Singh. Both Kapoor and Pathak were Delhi-based, he said.

"Primarily, it appears that the pilot could not see the runway, and that is why he would have carried out a missed approach. The pilot will carry out a missed approach in case he is not comfortable to land," Singh said. A 'missed approach' is a standardised procedure pilots execute when a landing cannot be safely completed during an instrument approach, often called a go-around.

When asked whether the remaining Learjet 45 aircraft in the company's fleet would be grounded, Singh said they were in good condition, and there was no need to ground them. The Learjet 45 aircraft are very dependable, he added. Asked about an accident at the Mumbai airport in 2023, which also involved an aircraft of his company, Singh said it was raining, the visibility was low, and the aircraft skidded after landing.

According to the website of Delhi-based VSR Aviation (owned by VSR Ventures), it caters to corporate travellers and others who need to fly to remote locations not serviced by commercial airlines.

According to a Civil Aviation Ministry statement, VSR Ventures is a Non-Scheduled Operator (NSOP) with Permit No 07/2014. Its fleet included seven Learjet 45 aircraft (including the one involved in the crash), five Embraer 135BJ aircraft, four King Air B200 aircraft and one Pilatus PC-12 aircraft.

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