Private Learjet 45 crashes in India while carrying Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister

?(Images from Financial Express, the Hindu, and India Today)A private Learjet 45 (VT-SSK) crashed near the Baramati airport in Pune district, Maharashtra, India on Wednesday morning while carrying Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. Pawar, his personal security officer Vidip Jadhav, attendant Pinky Mali, Captain Sumit Kapoor and First Officer Sambhavi Pathak all died in the crash. Kapoor had logged around 16,000 flight hours, while Pathak had about 1,500 hours, according to India Today. The Baramati airport is an ‘uncontrolled' airfield, where flight traffic information is coordinated by pilots from nearby flying schools rather than an ATC system. The aircraft had departed Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport at around 8:10 a.m. local time and was approaching Baramati at 8:36 a.m., according to FlightRadar. When it was about 30 nm from the airport, Pune air traffic control allowed the pilots to communicate with the local coordination staff and Pilot Shambhavi Pathak was briefed on prevailing weather conditions. She was advised to land at her discretion and that visibility was approximately 3,000 meters. Pathak indicated that the runway was ‘not in sight' and was instructed to initiate a go-around. After manoeuvring, she confirmed that the runway was visible this time, and the aircraft was cleared to land. However, there was no readback of the landing clearance and the aircraft stopped transmitting ADS-B data, according to the Financial Express. After ADS-B was turned off, CCTV footage from a nearby highway caught the aircraft crash and the giant plume of smoke that followed. Locals and rescue teams attempted to assist and found the aircraft destroyed. View this post on Instagram A post shared by NDTV (@ndtv) The Learjet was 16 years old and was operated by VSR Ventures. The company stated that the aircraft had no known safety concerns and was 100% safe. "The aircraft was very well-maintained and there was absolutely no problem with it," said VSR Ventures owner, Vijay Kumar Singh, to India Today. "We have lost our pilots, our passengers. It is a very difficult moment for the company." RELATED STORIES: UPS retires MD-11 fleet months after Louisville crash, reports Q4 earnings 6 people presumed dead after Bombardier Challenger 650 crashes in Maine NTSB releases preliminary on medical helicopter crash in Tennessee It is speculated that the aircraft had issues during the landing process, and the crash is currently being investigated by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) to determine the cause.