The crash of VT-SSK, a 16-year-old 8-seater jet popularly used for short-haul charter flights, that killed Maharashtra deputy CM Ajit Pawar has brought the spotlight on VSR Aviation, a Delhi-based air charter company that has 17 jets in its fleet.

All five people aboard the Learjet 45 died on Wednesday when the aircraft crashed what officials said was well short of the runway at the Baramati airport during a second landing attempt after pilots reported poor visibility. No mayday call was issued.

This marks the second serious incident involving VSR Aviation and the Learjet 45 model in three years. In September 2023, another VSR Learjet 45XR broke into two sections during a runway excursion at Mumbai airport in heavy rain. All eight aboard survived with injuries.

“That incident, however, was not traced back to pilot error or equipment failure—it was precipitated by challenging weather conditions,” a senior Indian aviation authority official said, asking not to be named.

The Indian Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau has taken over the probe. The director general of AAIB is traveling to Baramati to oversee evidence collection, the ministry said.

VSR Ventures Private Limited, operating as VSR Aviation, is a non-scheduled operator with permit number 07/2014. The company operates a 17-aircraft fleet, including seven Learjet 45s, five Embraer 135BJ aircraft, four King Air B200s, and one Pilatus PC-12.

It advertises “aircraft management (operations, maintenance, and commercials)” and spare parts supply among its services. India’s regulatory framework requires non-scheduled operators to either establish CAR 145-approved maintenance shops or contract with DGCA-approved third-party MROs. Whether VSR operates its own approved facility or outsources maintenance will likely be examined during the investigation.

Company director Captain VK Singh told broadcaster India Today the aircraft was “100% safe,” and the crew was “fairly experienced.” He said poor visibility may have played a role, but details were still unclear.

Founded by Singh and Rohit Singh, VSR Aviation advertises “aircraft management (operations, maintenance, and commercials)” and spare parts supply among its services. The company generated revenue of 296 crore rupees for the financial year ending March 31, 2024, reflecting 33% year-on-year growth.

Indian Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu K said early assessment has not pointed to any red flags with either the company or the specific aircraft. “The DGCA has thoroughly checked, and all the approvals have been given, and the organization also seems to have been going through one assessment last year itself, all the flights. So, on that side, we don’t see any issue, and they have been handling many flights and many VIPs, and they are travelling.”

Naidu also clarified that there were no safety concerns related to the Learjets that were informed to the Indian civil aviation regulator.

Typically, the key factor behind an air crash is usually zeroed in upon after detailed analysis that includes radio communication, flight data recorder clues, and wreckage symptoms. In six of India’s last deadliest airliner incidents, investigation has pointed to pilot error as a key factor—though pilot groups contend that it is often easy to pin the blame on aviators who die instead of systemic problems.

In the case of the September 2023 runway excursion at Mumbai airport in heavy rain, AAIB is yet to make public a final report. Only a preliminary report has been released, noting the aircraft had completed its 1,200-hour inspection in April 2023 with no major snags.

Referring to the aircraft taking a loop before trying to land again, Singh said it was the pilot’s decision. “He made an approach from runway 29 and then he carried out a missed approach, before making another attempt. I have no contact with the pilots and we are trying to be with the family first. Primarily it appears that pilot could not see the runaway..” he said, stating the pilots had ample experience too.

“The pilot will carry out a missed approach in case if he is not comfortable to land on the runway. He was a very experienced pilot, with over 16,000 hours of experience and the co-pilot had 1500 hours of experience. The captain was earlier with Sahara, Jetlite and Jet Airways too,” he said, stating he considered both the pilot and the co-pilot as his ‘brother and daughter’. “They were extremely good human beings and pilots.”

The crashed Learjet 45XR was manufactured in 2010. DGCA issued its certificate of registration on December 27, 2022, and certificate of airworthiness on December 16, 2021. Its airworthiness review certificate was issued September 10, 2025, and was valid until September 14, 2026.

Soon after the crash on Wednesday, a team from the AAIB also reaches the office of the company in Mahipalpur, departing after questioning Singh and other officials at around 3 pm.

An official aware of the matter said, as is the case with most aircraft, chartered flights are parked overnight at an airport before departing for the next destination. The same aircraft was last at the Delhi airport on January 23. “It arrived from Ahmedabad on January 22. Stayed parked overnight in the general aviation terminal and then departed for Pune on January 23,” the official added.

The aircraft had accumulated 4,915.48 hours and 5,867 cycles since manufacture. It had flown 85.49 hours since its last airworthiness review.

The last regulatory audit was carried out by DGCA in February 2025, and “no level-I findings were issued,” according to the ministry.

Level 1 findings are those serious non-compliances that can compromise safety.

Both Honeywell TFE731-20BR engines were within service limits. The left engine had 4,915.48 hours and 5,965 cycles. The right engine had 4,526.44 hours and 5,426 cycles, the government said.

About 242 Learjet 45s remain in service worldwide. The model has been involved in nine significant accidents or incidents since entering service, including Wednesday’s crash. Used aircraft trade between $1.1 million and $2.2 million.

Source: Hindustan Times