Pune, India: On Wednesday morning, a two-seater training aircraft belonging to Redbird Aviation crash-landed near Gojubavi village adjacent to Baramati Airport during a training sortie. Preliminary reports said the aircraft went down shortly after takeoff at around 8:30–8:50 AM local time.
According to Pune Rural Police and airport officials, only a trainee pilot was onboard the aircraft at the time of the crash. The pilot survived the accident without serious injuries.
Authorities said the aircraft was flying at a relatively low altitude when it reportedly developed a technical malfunction. Eyewitnesses told investigators that while attempting an emergency landing, part of the aircraft struck a light pole before crashing into an open field near the airport perimeter.
Baramati Airport Director Shivaji Taware confirmed that the aircraft belonged to Redbird Aviation Academy and said the exact cause of the crash is yet to be determined. Police teams and local officials rushed to the site immediately after the incident, while technical assessments of the wreckage and a formal investigation are now underway.
The crash comes less than four months after the devastating Learjet 45XR accident on January 28, 2026, involving a VSR Ventures charter aircraft carrying Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.
The aircraft, registered VT-SSK, crashed during an attempted landing at Baramati Airport amid poor visibility and heavy fog conditions. All five people onboard including Ajit Pawar, his personal security officer, two pilots and a flight attendant were killed in the crash. The jet burst into flames after impact during a second approach attempt to Runway 11.
Redbird’s Previous Training Aircraft Incidents At Baramati Airport:
August 9, 2025: Near Baramati Airport in Pune, a Redbird Flight Training Centre trainer aircraft crash-landed after a tyre issue caused the front wheel to detach on touchdown, the trainee pilot escaped unhurt.
October 19, 2023: At Baramati Airfield in Maharashtra, a Redbird Aviation Tecnam P2008JC aircraft (VT-RBC) crashed while carrying out circuit landing training after developing a technical snag, forcing the pilot to make an emergency landing just outside the airfield boundary.
October 22, 2023: The incident occurred near Baramati, Maharashtra, a Redbird Aviation Tecnam P2008JPC aircraft (VT-RBT), operating a sector training flight with an assistant flight instructor and a student on board, suffered an engine failure and crash-landed, toppling after touchdown.
