India, Jan. 29 -- The death of Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash at Baramati on Wednesday has brought back memories of a flight scare he himself had spoken about barely a year and a half ago, when he narrowly escaped a helicopter incident involving poor visibility and thick clouds.

In July 2024, Pawar had publicly recounted how a helicopter carrying him, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and industries minister Uday Samant lost its way while flying from Nagpur to Gadchiroli amid adverse weather conditions. The aircraft, Pawar had said, encountered dense monsoon clouds and low visibility, forcing the pilot to rely on skill and experience to bring the helicopter back on course and land safely.

The trio was trave...