Aviation – Seven Killed After Air Ambulance Crashes in Jharkhand Forest
Aviation – All seven people on board a medical evacuation flight lost their lives after a small aircraft went down in a forested stretch of Jharkhand’s Chatra district on Monday evening. The plane, operated by Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd, had departed from Ranchi and was en route to Delhi when it met with the fatal accident near Simaria.
Aircraft Loses Contact Shortly After Takeoff
According to officials at Ranchi Airport, the aircraft took off in the evening and maintained communication with Air Traffic Control (ATC) for a brief period. Airport Director Vinod Kumar told PTI that contact with the aircraft was lost roughly 20 minutes after departure. The plane disappeared from radar soon after, triggering concern among aviation authorities.
Hours later, debris was located in the Bariatu Panchayat area under Simaria police limits. The crash site was situated deep inside a remote and densely wooded region, making access difficult for rescue teams.
Adverse Weather Suspected in Crash
Chatra Deputy Commissioner Keerthishree G stated that preliminary information suggested the aircraft may have encountered severe weather. A thunderstorm was reported in the area around the time the plane lost altitude. Local officials indicated that the aircraft appeared to have descended rapidly before impact.
Medical teams who reached the site confirmed that none of the occupants survived. The deceased included two crew members and five passengers — a critically injured patient and his accompanying family members.
Sub-Divisional Police Officer Shubham Khandelwal confirmed that all seven bodies were recovered and sent for postmortem examination as part of standard procedure.
Victims Identified by Authorities
Authorities later released the names of those who died in the crash. The crew members were identified as Captain Vivek Vikas Bhagat and Captain Savrajdeep Singh. The passengers included Sanjay Kumar, Dr. Vikas Kumar Gupta, Sachin Kumar Mishra, Archana Devi and Dhuru Kumar.
The aircraft involved was a Beechcraft C90 registered as VT-AJV. In an official statement, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation confirmed that the plane was operating a medical evacuation flight from Ranchi to Delhi when it crashed in Kasaria Panchayat of Chatra district.
The aviation regulator said the aircraft had established communication with Kolkata ATC shortly after departure. However, radar and ATC contact were lost approximately 100 nautical miles southeast of Varanasi. An investigation has been initiated to determine the precise cause of the accident.
Patient Was Being Shifted for Advanced Treatment
Hospital authorities in Ranchi revealed that the flight had been arranged to transfer a burn victim for advanced care in Delhi. Anant Sinha, CEO of Devkamal Hospital, said 41-year-old Sanjay Kumar, a resident of Chandwa in Latehar district, had been admitted on February 16 with severe burn injuries affecting nearly 65 percent of his body.
Due to the seriousness of his condition, doctors and family members decided to move him to a specialized medical facility in the national capital. An air ambulance was booked to facilitate the transfer.
Rescue and Investigation Underway
Soon after information about the missing aircraft was received, district administration teams began search operations. Rescue personnel, along with officials from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, reached the crash site to examine the wreckage and gather evidence.
Authorities have indicated that a detailed probe will assess technical data, weather conditions, and operational records. The findings are expected to shed light on the chain of events leading up to the crash.
Leaders Express Condolences
Several political leaders expressed grief over the tragedy. Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren conveyed his condolences through social media, offering prayers for the deceased and strength to their families during the difficult period.
The accident has once again raised concerns over flight safety during adverse weather and the operational challenges faced by medical evacuation aircraft operating in unpredictable conditions.