A trainer aircraft operated by a private company crash-landed at Baramati airport in Pune on Sunday, 9 August, at approximately 12:35 pm, officials confirmed. No injuries were reported, though the aircraft sustained minor damage. The incident occurred within the airport premises, a short distance from the runway.

Third Aviation Incident at Baramati This Year

Sunday's crash-landing is the third aviation accident linked to Baramati airport in 2025, raising fresh concerns about safety at the airfield. In May, another privately operated trainer aircraft crashed near the Baramati airstrip, close to Gojubavi village. The trainee pilot — the sole occupant — escaped without serious injury after a part of the aircraft struck an electric pole during approach. No serious injuries were reported in that incident either.

The Fatal January Crash That Put Baramati Under Scrutiny

The airfield drew national attention in January when a Learjet 45 owned by VSR Ventures crashed near Baramati airport on 28 January, killing then Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others. The victims included his personal security officer, an attendant, and two cockpit crew members — pilot-in-command Sumit Kapur and first officer Shambhavi Pathak. The aircraft went down during its second landing attempt.

What the AAIB Investigation Found

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) launched a probe into the January crash. Its preliminary report found that visibility at the time of the accident was below the required threshold. The agency also flagged serious concerns about the condition of the runway, citing fading markings and the presence of loose gravel on the surface.

Following its findings, the AAIB recommended that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) ensure prescribed safety standards are properly maintained at uncontrolled airfields. The AAIB's final report into the January crash is expected by January 2026 and is anticipated to provide a fuller account of the factors that contributed to the fatal accident.

Questions Over Airfield Safety Conditions

The recurrence of incidents at Baramati — three in under a year — is likely to intensify pressure on the DGCA to act on the AAIB's recommendations before the final report is submitted. Notably, Sunday's crash-landing occurred roughly seven months after the fatal January accident, during a period when the runway's safety conditions had already been formally questioned. Further details on the latest incident are awaited from officials.