Black box of aircraft from Ajit Pawar’s crash sustained damage

The black box of the aircraft involved in the crash that killed Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others was exposed to intense heat and sustained fire damage. As a result, the cockpit voice recording is yet to be retrieved, according to the probe agency.

A Learjet 45 crashed in Baramati, Maharashtra on January 28 killing Pawar, both the pilots, a cabin crew member and staff of the leader. The chartered plane belonged to Delhi-based VSR Private Limited.

The black box, which comprises the digital flight data recorder (DFDR) and the cockpit voice recorder (CVR), was recovered the following day. On Tuesday (February 17, 2026), the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) probing the crash said that the data from the DFDR has been successfully downloaded, but the CVR “is undergoing detailed technical examination”. The AAIB has also sought specialised support in data retrieval from the state of manufacture of the CVR. The CVR on the aircraft was manufactured by U.S.-based Honeywell.

“The aircraft was equipped with two independent flight recorders. Both recorders were exposed to intense heat for a prolonged period during the accident and sustained fire damage,” a press statement from the AAIB said.

Since the crash, the DGCA has ordered an audit into the charter operator involved in the Baramati crash, VSR Private Limited, as well as 14 other large charter operators in the country.