EU aviation regulator flagged safety issue with VSR before Baramati crash: Report

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) had suspended the authorisation of Indian charter operator VSR Ventures more than a year before the aircraft crash near Baramati that killed Ajit Pawar, according to a report in The Times of India (TOI).

As per the report, EASA suspended VSR Ventures’ Third Country Operator (TCO) authorisation after recording a ‘Level 1’ safety finding. The action followed the company’s repeated failure to submit documents and information sought by the regulator in connection with a Learjet 45 accident that occurred in Mumbai in September 2023.

The suspension order, which was also marked to India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), noted that multiple reminders were sent to the operator between October and November 2024. However, no response was received from the company.

EASA stated that VSR Ventures was given adequate opportunity to submit a corrective action plan and conduct a root cause analysis before the suspension was enforced. The company has not commented on the matter, the report said.

The Learjet 45 aircraft that crashed in Maharashtra’s Baramati on January 28, killing Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others onboard, was previously involved in a landing accident at the Mumbai airport in September 2023, the Ministry of Civil Aviation confirmed. 

The aircraft, operated by VSR Ventures Private Limited, shares a troubled history with another company plane.

On September 14, 2023, a separate Learjet 45 registered as VT-DBL suffered a landing accident in Mumbai, an incident that remains under Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) investigation.

According to reports, six passengers were onboard the aircraft and all escaped miraculously from the accident, which occurred amid rain and low visibility on September 14, 2023.

VSR Ventures, a non-scheduled operator, maintains a fleet of 17 aircraft. This comprises seven Learjet 45 units, five Embraer 135BJ aircraft, four King Air B200s, and one Pilatus PC-12.

The company’s Air Operator Permit, initially issued in 2014, was renewed in April 2023 and remains valid until 2028, the Ministry said. 

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) conducted a regulatory audit of the operator in February 2025.

According to official records, the audit did not report any Level-I safety findings at that time.

Data released by the Ministry of Civil Aviation indicates the flight crew was highly experienced. 

The pilot-in-command held an Airline Transport Pilot Licence with more than 15,000 flying hours. 

Records show his last medical examination was conducted in November 2025, with his proficiency checks updated in August 2025.

“The co-pilot held a Commercial Pilot Licence with 1,500 flying hours and cleared his last proficiency check in July 2025. The AAIB has already taken over the Baramati plane crash probe,” the ministry said in an official statement.

Ajit Pawar was travelling to Baramati from Mumbai to attend a few public programmes in connection with the local body elections in Maharashtra.

(with inputs from syndicated feed)