Ajit Pawar plane crash: DGCA finds 'several lapses'

The DGCA has grounded four VSR Ventures aircraft due to significant safety compliance issues discovered during a special audit.

Ajit Pawar plane crash DGCA action

IMAGE: Charred remains of the charter plane at the crash site in which Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others lost their lives, in Baramati. Photograph: ANI Video Grab

Key Points

DGCA orders grounding of four VSR Ventures aircraft after identifying compliance lapses.
The grounding follows a fatal Learjet 45 crash near Baramati that killed five people.
A special safety audit revealed non-compliance issues in airworthiness, air safety, and flight operations.
Deficiency reporting forms issued to VSR Ventures for root cause analysis of non-compliances.
Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is expected to release a preliminary report on the crash.

After finding several compliance lapses, aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Tuesday directed the grounding of four aircraft of VSR Ventures, whose plane crashed at Baramati last month, killing Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others.

Following the crash of the Learjet 45 aircraft (VT-SSK) on January 28, the DGCA had ordered a special safety audit of VSR Ventures.

The multi-disciplinary audit team observed several non-compliances of approved procedures in the organisation in the area of airworthiness, air safety, and flight operations, the regulator said in a statement.

DGCA Action and Findings

"In view of the non-compliances observed and considering the gaps in maintenance procedures, it is decided to initiate the corrective measures by immediately grounding Learjet 40/45 aircraft with registration VT-VRA, VT-VRS, VT-VRV, and VT-TRI till continued airworthiness standards are restored," it said.

Further, DGCA said deficiency reporting forms have been issued to VSR Ventures in the areas concerned to submit root cause analysis on the non-compliances. The submissions would be assessed by the watchdog before the next course of action.

Pawar and four others were killed in the crash of a Learjet 45 plane, owned by VSR Ventures, near Baramati on January 28.

While the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is expected to come out with its preliminary report into the fatal crash before February 28, concerns have been raised in certain quarters claiming there could have been a conspiracy that led to the crash.