‘That tomorrow never came’: Crew member’s final conversation with father echoes moments before tragedy

A heartbreaking final phone call has surfaced following the Baramati plane crash that claimed the lives of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others. Flight attendant Pinky Mali’s last conversation with her father, Shivkumar Mali, has left the nation shaken, capturing the quiet normalcy before an unimaginable tragedy.

Pinky, who lived in Worli, Mumbai, called her father before boarding the flight on Wednesday morning. “Papa, I am flying to Baramati with Ajit Pawar. After dropping him off, I will head to Nanded. We’ll talk tomorrow,” she told him. Shivkumar replied that they would speak after her work the next day, a call that never came.

A Father’s Unbearable Loss

Recalling the moment, Shivkumar Mali said, “I told her, ‘We’ll talk tomorrow after your work.’ But that tomorrow will never arrive.” Overcome with grief, he shared that Pinky had been accompanying Ajit Pawar on several recent trips.

“I have lost my daughter. I do not know what exactly happened, as I have no technical knowledge about such incidents. I am completely shattered,” he said. His only wish now, he added, is to receive his daughter’s body so he can perform her last rites with dignity.

What Happened in Baramati

The crash occurred near Baramati airport in Pune district and involved a Learjet 45 aircraft (VT-SSK) operated by Delhi-based VSR Ventures. On board were Ajit Pawar, his personal security officer Vidip Jadhav, flight attendant Pinky Mali, Pilot-in-Command Sumit Kapur, and Second-in-Command Shambhavi Pathak.

The aircraft departed Mumbai at 8:10 am, disappeared from radar around 8:45 am, and crashed at approximately 8:50 am while attempting to land. Pawar was travelling to address four rallies ahead of the February 5 zilla parishad elections.

Also Read: Maharashtra Dy CM Ajit Pawar laid to rest with full state honours in Baramati

Investigation Underway

Emergency services rushed to the site immediately after the crash, and rescue teams were deployed. A team from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau has been sent from Delhi to Pune to investigate the cause.

Meanwhile, the last rites of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar were performed with full state honours on Thursday in his hometown of Baramati.

A Tragedy Beyond Headlines

As investigations continue, Pinky Mali’s final words to her father echo painfully, a reminder that behind every headline lies a family forever changed.