Ajit Pawar plane crash: DGCA grounds four VSR aircraft after Baramati audit flags safety violations

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Tuesday grounded four aircraft operated by VSR Ventures Pvt Ltd after a special safety audit выявaled multiple violations following the fatal Learjet 45 crash in Baramati on January 28, officials said.

“The audit was ordered on February 2, began on February 4 and concluded on February 16. The findings were then analysed before a final decision was taken,” an official familiar with the matter said.

The multi-disciplinary audit team identified several non-compliances in approved procedures covering airworthiness, flight operations and safety, another official said. The regulator cited gaps in maintenance practices among the key concerns.

“Learjet 40/45 aircraft registered as VT-VRA, VT-VRS, VT-VRV and VT-TRI have been immediately grounded until continued airworthiness standards are restored,” the official said.

DGCA has issued deficiency reporting forms to the operator, directing it to submit a root cause analysis of the lapses for further assessment.

The audit was conducted after the company’s Learjet 45 (VT-SSK) crashed while attempting to land, killing five people. The aircraft was reportedly making a second landing attempt at the time of the accident.

The action comes amid heightened scrutiny of non-scheduled and charter operators, with the DGCA undertaking phase-wise audits across the sector, particularly focusing on maintenance and safety compliance.

Records indicate that VT-SSK had been operating charter flights to several cities, including Mumbai, Goa (Mopa), Mangaluru, Delhi, Kolhapur, Nagpur, Pune, Surat and Juhu.

Rohit Pawar reacts

NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar welcomed the decision, stating that concerns about VSR Ventures’ compliance had been raised repeatedly.

“We have consistently highlighted that VSR was not following compliance requirements and was operating aircraft in an arbitrary and unsafe manner. Today’s DGCA action addresses those very issues,” Pawar said in a post on X.

He described the development as “only the tip of the iceberg” and said he would speak further on the matter.