Shocking details are emerging after a tragic air ambulance crash claimed seven lives in Jharkhand’s Chatra district on Monday night. It was a medical evacuation aircraft that was transporting a patient from Ranchi to New Delhi when the incident occurred. The primary investigation has revealed that the bad weather might have triggered the tragedy.
The aircraft took off at 7:11 Pm on Monday and have requested deviation due to the bad weather after 20 minutes, which afterwards disappeared from the radar less than half an hour into the flight. In the statement issued by the Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGCA), it was stated that the plane lost contact with Kolkata at 7:34pm.
Here’s the Timeline
- The aircraft was on a medical emergency flight from Ranchi to Delhi. It took off at 7:11 PM.
- Officials said contact with the aircraft was lost at 7:34 PM, about 23 minutes after takeoff. It was around 100 nautical miles south-east of Varanasi.
- There were seven people on board: two pilots, a patient named Sanjay Kumar, Dr Vikash Kumar Gupta, paramedic S K Mishra, and two attendants.
- Ranchi Airport sources said the aircraft first contacted Kolkata Air Traffic Control. The pilots asked to change their route due to bad weather. After that, radar contact was lost.
- Villagers in Kasariya Panchayat of Simariya block heard a loud explosion. They saw something falling from the sky and later found the wreckage.
- Deputy Commissioner Keerthishree G said a thunderstorm might have caused the crash. The exact reason will be known after a proper investigation.
- SDPO Shubham Khandelwal confirmed that all seven people died. Their bodies have been recovered.
- A team from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and officials from Delhi have gone to the crash site. They will investigate and try to recover the black box.
About the Crashed Air Ambulance
The DGCA said the aircraft was a Beechcraft C90 operated by Delhi-based Redbird Airways, with the tail number VT-AJV. It lost communication and radar contact with Kolkata Air Traffic Control about 100 nautical miles south-east of Varanasi. Shortly after losing contact, the aircraft crashed in a forest area near Simaria in Jharkhand. Ranchi airport sources told PTI that the medical flight had taken off normally and established contact with the next air traffic station, after which control was handed over.
Second aircraft crash in a month and third since Air India
This is the second small aircraft crash in India in one month. Earlier, a crash in Baramati, Maharashtra, on January 28 killed Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others. Additionally, this is the third deadly civilian aviation accident since June 2025. In June, an aircraft operated by Air India crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad airport. Only one person survived the crash, a 40-year-old British national. The final investigation report on Flight AI 171 has not yet been released by the authorities.
