Shocking new details have surfaced about the pilots at the controls of the Learjet that fatally crashed near Baramati Airport last week, killing Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others. Captain Sumit Kapoor, the experienced pilot-in-command, was never meant to fly that doomed flight, according to close friends who spoke exclusively to our sources.

Kapoor, a Delhi-based aviator with over 16,000 flying hours from his time at airlines like Jet Airways, had just returned from a grueling stint in Hong Kong. He stepped in at the eleventh hour after the scheduled pilot got stuck in traffic and couldn't make the Mumbai departure. "Sumit wasn't on the roster. He was wrapping up his international rotation and only got the call hours before takeoff," one longtime friend shared, still reeling from the loss.

The jet lifted off from Mumbai around 8 a.m. on January 27, bound for Baramati where Pawar had key political meetings lined up. Foggy conditions plagued the area, and after a missed first approach, the aircraft circled back for a second try. Eyewitnesses reported the plane suddenly veering out of control, erupting into flames upon impact just short of the runway. Tragically, the cockpit voice recorder captured the co-pilot Shambhavi Pathak's final words: "Oh s***," amid the chaos. Both pilots perished alongside Pawar, his security officer, and a crew member. Pathak, with 1,500 hours in the logbook, was another rising star from Delhi, leaving behind a family proud of her aviation passion—much like Kapoor's own son and son-in-law, who followed in his footsteps.

Friends insist Kapoor's expertise rules out pilot error as the primary cause. "He was meticulous, a family man who'd just seen his kids settled. This was a cruel twist of fate," another associate said. Early investigations by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) are eyeing low visibility and potential technical glitches, with weather playing a starring role in this high-stakes landing.

The incident has reignited debates on VIP air travel in India, where small jets often navigate tricky regional strips amid monsoon aftermaths or winter haze. Aviation watchers are urging mandatory advanced tech like ground proximity systems and dedicated corridors for political flights to prevent rushed substitutions like this one. As probe teams comb the wreckage, Kapoor's story humanizes the headlines—a dedicated pro thrust into harm's way by circumstance. Updates expected soon from DGCA headquarters. Our thoughts remain with the grieving families.