What Is Black Box?: How Flight Data and Voice Recorders May Reveal What Went Wrong in Ajit Pawar’s Deadly Baramati Crash
Investigators probing the tragic plane crash that claimed the life of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar have made a significant breakthrough. On Thursday morning, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) successfully recovered the "Black Box" from the wreckage of the Learjet 45 aircraft.
Baramati, January 29: Investigators probing the tragic plane crash that claimed the life of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar have made a significant breakthrough. On Thursday morning, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) successfully recovered the "Black Box" from the wreckage of the Learjet 45 aircraft. The recovery comes just 24 hours after the aircraft, operated by VSR Ventures, crashed during a second landing attempt at the Baramati airstrip. The disaster on Wednesday, January 28, resulted in the deaths of five people, including Pawar, his personal security officer, an assistant, and two pilots.
The Recovery Operation
A specialized three-member team from the AAIB in Delhi, alongside officials from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) Mumbai, reached the crash site late Wednesday. Despite the aircraft being almost entirely consumed by fire, officials confirmed that the flight recorders were retrieved and remain in a condition suitable for analysis. The "Black Box" is now being transported to a laboratory in New Delhi for data extraction. Authorities hope the information stored within will provide a definitive timeline of the aircraft’s final moments, particularly why the pilot attempted a second approach in what eyewitnesses described as poor visibility. Black Box Recovered in Baramati Plane Crash: Union Aviation Minister Assures Transparent Probe Into Tragedy That Killed Ajit Pawar.
What is a Black Box?
Despite its name, a "Black Box" is actually painted bright orange to make it easier to locate amidst debris. It consists of two separate units housed in a crash-survivable container:
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Flight Data Recorder (FDR): This logs technical parameters such as altitude, airspeed, wing flap positions, and engine performance.
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Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR): This captures all sounds in the cockpit, including conversations between the pilots, radio transmissions, and any audible alarms or mechanical noises.
Role in the Investigation
The recovery of these devices is the most critical step in any aviation probe. In the case of the Baramati crash, the data will help investigators determine whether the accident was caused by technical failure, such as engine trouble or faulty landing gear, or by "human error" influenced by environmental factors. Preliminary reports from the DGCA suggested that the aircraft struggled with stability during its final descent. By syncing the CVR’s audio with the FDR’s technical data, experts can reconstruct a "virtual flight" to see exactly what the pilots saw and heard before the impact. Ajit Pawar Cremated With Full State Honours As Maharashtra Bids An Emotional Farewell (Watch Videos).
Background and Current Status
Ajit Pawar, a veteran political figure and leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), was traveling from Mumbai to Baramati to address rallies for the upcoming Zilla Parishad elections. His sudden demise has led to a three-day period of state mourning in Maharashtra. While the investigation continues, the focus remains on the "table-top" nature of the Baramati airstrip, which can be challenging for pilots during low-visibility conditions. The Ministry of Civil Aviation has assured a "thorough, transparent, and time-bound" inquiry to prevent such tragedies in the future.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 29, 2026 06:56 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).