All seven people on board a medical evacuation flight from Ranchi to New Delhi were killed after the aircraft crashed in Jharkhand’s Chatra district on Monday evening, aviation officials confirmed.
The air ambulance, which had departed from Ranchi at 7.11 pm, lost contact less than half an hour into the flight. According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), communication and radar contact were lost at 7.34 pm, approximately 23 minutes after take-off, when the aircraft was about 100 nautical miles south-east of Varanasi.
Aircraft Requested Deviation Before Disappearing
The aircraft, a Beechcraft C90 operated by Delhi-based Redbird Airways with tail number VT-AJV, was on a medical evacuation mission transporting a patient from Ranchi to Delhi. The flight was expected to land in the national capital by 10 pm.
Ranchi Airport sources told PTI that the plane established initial contact with Kolkata Air Traffic Control (ATC) after departure and requested a deviation due to adverse weather conditions. Control was subsequently handed over to the next station. Shortly thereafter, contact was lost.
In a statement, the DGCA said the aircraft lost communication and radar contact with Kolkata ATC before going down in a forested area near Simaria in Jharkhand’s Chatra district.
“After this, contact was lost. The plane did not contact the Ranchi Airport,” an official told PTI, citing airport sources.
Seven Declared Dead; Investigation Underway
On board were two pilots, a patient identified as Sanjay Kumar, Dr Vikash Kumar Gupta, paramedic S K Mishra, and two attendants. All seven were declared dead after the crash was reported around 10.20 pm.
“We got information around 10 that an accident has happened. Getting here was difficult considering the terrain. The Delhi team will come here for the investigation and try to recover the black box. The total number of deaths is seven,” Superintendent of Police Sumit Kumar told ANI from the crash site.
The DGCA has initiated a formal probe into the incident. A team from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has also reached the site to begin a detailed investigation.
Authorities are expected to focus on weather conditions, technical factors and flight communication records as part of the inquiry. Recovery of the flight data recorder, commonly referred to as the black box, is likely to play a crucial role in determining what led to the fatal crash.
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