Ajit Pawar Plane Crash: Who Were Captains Shambhavi Pathak and Sumit Kapoor Who Also Died?

On January 28, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar died as his plane crashed at the Baramati Airport in Pune. Along with Ajit, there were six more people on board, who also lost their lives in the tragic crash. The aircraft left Mumbai at 8 am and was attempting to land at Baramati airport. As per the reports, the plane was a chartered Learjet 45, lost control during landing and exploded with a huge fire.

Along with Ajit Pawar and his personal security officer, the two pilots also died in the plane crash. The pilots on board were Captain Sumit Kapoor and Captain Shambhavi Pathak, both seasoned pilots. VSR Aviation, the operator of the Learjet 45 flight, confirmed their identities. So who are these pilots? Read to know more about them.

Who Were The Pilots Who Died In The Ajit Pawar Plane Crash?

Captain Sumit Kapoor was the Pilot-in-Command (PIC) on the flight, which had Ajit Pawar on board. He was the senior pilot who was leading the crew and also responsible for making crucial decisions like take-off and landing.

The other pilot on board was Shambhavi Pathak, who was the First Officer (FO), assisting Captain Sumit Kapoor in the flight. As a co-pilot, her job was to look after flight instruments and handle the communications aspect with air traffic control. Pathak was a daughter of an army officer and studied at Air Force Bal Bharati School. She did a BSc in Aeronautics, Aviation, and Aerospace Science and Technology at the University of Mumbai and later took training at the New Zealand International Commercial Pilot Academy. Pathak  flew several times on chartered missions.

Another crew member identified on Flight Learjet 45 was Sahil Madaan. His role was to look after the flight deck support and manage cabin responsibilities. In the crash, Pinky Mali, another member of the cabin crew, also lost her life.