Who were Captains Shambhavi Pathak, Sumit Kapoor who died in Ajit Pawar jet crash?

A routine political trip turned tragic on Wednesday morning, when a chartered Learjet 45 carrying Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar crashed near Baramati Airport in Pune district. All six people on board, including Ajit Pawar, his personal security officer, and two pilots, were killed.

The aircraft had taken off from Mumbai around 8 am and was attempting to land at Baramati when it lost control and crashed, triggering a massive fire and multiple explosions, eyewitnesses said.

PILOTS KILLED IN THE CRASH

The pilots on board were Captain Sumit Kapoor and Captain Shambhavi Pathak, both experienced aviation professionals. VSR Aviation, which operated the flight, confirmed their identities.

Captain Shambhavi Pathak, daughter of an Army officer, was serving as the Pilot-in-Command. She studied at Air Force Bal Bharati School and completed a BSc in Aeronautics, Aviation, and Aerospace Science and Technology from the University of Mumbai. She later trained at the New Zealand International Commercial Pilot Academy.

Captain Sumit Kapoor was also serving as Pilot-in-Command and was responsible for leading the flight crew during critical phases, including take-off and landing.

‘AIRCRAFT WAS ABSOLUTELY FIT’

VSR Aviation’s top official VK Singh said both pilots were based in Delhi and had logged extensive flying hours.

“The aircraft was absolutely fit to the best of our knowledge. There was no technical failure. It was very well maintained,” Singh told the media.

He said preliminary information suggested poor visibility may have played a role in the crash.

“Primarily, it appears there was no visibility. The pilot made an approach to the runway, carried out a missed approach, and then made another attempt. If a pilot cannot see the runway, he will carry out a missed approach,” he said.

Singh added that Captain Kapoor had logged over 16,000 hours of flying experience, while the co-pilot had around 1,500 hours.

“He was very seasoned and had worked with Sahara, Jetline, and Jet Airways. He was very experienced with this type of aircraft,” Singh said.

‘THEY WERE LIKE FAMILY TO ME’

Recalling his personal bond with the pilots, Singh said both were close to him.

“Captain Sumit Kapoor was a very dear friend of mine. His son is also a pilot with us. Captain Shambhavi was like my child to me. Both of them were extremely good human beings and extremely good pilots. They were from Delhi,” he said.