New Delhi, Jan. 30 -- A private plane carrying a senior state official crashed in western India on Wednesday, killing all five people on board, aviation authorities said.

The Learjet 45 was en route from India's financial capital of Mumbai to Ajit Pawar's home city Baramati when it crash-landed and burst into flames in an open field near the runway, 254 kilometers (159 miles) from Mumbai. Television footage showed smoke rising from the wreckage.

Local media cited poor visibility as a possible cause of the crash, which is being investigated by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau.

Baramati is an uncontrolled airfield, meaning it doesn't have a dedicated air traffic control tower, according to a statement from the Ministry of C...