Deputy Chief Minister, Ajit Pawar, was having a routine political trip when his chartered Learjet 45 crashed near the Baramati Airport in Pune district on January 28, 2026. The five members on board, along with Ajit Pawar, were the pilot in command, Captain Sumit Kapoor, the co-pilot, Captain Shambhavi Pathak, the flight attendant, Pinky Mali and Pawar’s security guard, Vidip Jadhav, who lost their lives. The plane, which was operated by a Delhi-based charter firm called VSR Aviation, had departed from Mumbai around 8 a.m. on January 28, 2026.
The flight was attempting to land at the Baramati airport when the crash took place. Eyewitnesses revealed that the flight lost control while attempting to land, after which it caught fire, and then it exploded, killing all on board. VSR Aviation officials, in an interview with the PTI, noted that the aircraft was 100 per cent safe and the crew was fairly experienced. However, who is Captain Sumit Kapoor, who flew his last flight to Baramati and met with a tragic end?
Captain Sumit Kapoor had 16,000 hours of flying experience
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