In the shadow of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s death in a Baramati plane crash, former Air India pilot Minoo Wadia is sounding alarms on aviation lapses while pleading for investigative patience.
The incident unfolded with a botched first landing due to hazy visibility, followed by a go-around. Seconds into the retry, doom struck. Wadia queried the emergency declaration: ‘Engine glitch? Even one faltering shouldn’t doom a twin-engine craft.’
Landing gear theories? ‘Implausible,’ he countered. ‘Pilots extend gear late; in-air woes would target runway directly. This off-site plunge hints at enigmas untold.’
No heavy fog blanketed Baramati at 8:45 AM, though visibility faltered slightly. ‘A factor, yes—but not decisive alone.’ Pilot error accusations drew his ire: ‘Baseless rushes mirror Ahmedabad’s flawed verdicts. Evidence first.’
India’s safety apparatus faces Wadia’s stark verdict: deficient. ‘Push for independent boards stalled; DGCA craves skilled global pros. Time to modernize or risk more sorrow.’
Across cabins—elite or economy—safety reigns supreme, he affirmed. Crash etiologies span mechanical betrayals, perceptual pitfalls, or rogue variables. Truth awaits black box revelations.
Wadia’s poised analysis bridges mourning to momentum, advocating systemic fortification for safer Indian airspace.