Seven Killed as Air Ambulance Crashes in Jharkhand’s Chatra District

NEW DELHI: All seven persons on board an air ambulance were killed after the aircraft crashed near Simaria in Jharkhand’s Chatra district on Monday evening while en route to Delhi from Ranchi, officials said.

The aircraft, a Beechcraft C90 operated by Delhi-based non-scheduled carrier Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd, took off from Ranchi at 7:11 pm. According to Chatra Deputy Commissioner Keerthishree G, the plane went missing around 7:30 pm and later crashed in the Bariatu Panchayat area of Simaria, deep inside a forest.

Sub-Divisional Police Officer Shubham Khandelwal confirmed that all seven bodies have been recovered and identified as Captain Vivek Vikas Bhagat, Captain Savrajdeep Singh, Sanjay Kumar, Dr Vikas Kumar Gupta, Sachin Kumar Mishra, Archana Devi, and Dhuru Kumar.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) stated that on February 23, 2026, the Beechcraft C90 aircraft (VT-AJV) was operating a medical evacuation flight on the Ranchi-Delhi sector when it crashed in Kasaria Panchayat of Chatra district. There were seven people on board, including two crew members.

The DGCA said the aircraft became airborne at 19:11 IST. After establishing contact with Kolkata ATC at 19:34 IST, it lost communication and radar contact approximately 100 nautical miles southeast of Varanasi.

Ranchi Airport Director Vinod Kumar said the plane lost contact with air traffic control around 20 minutes after takeoff. He added that inclement weather could be a possible reason behind the crash, though the exact cause will only be known after a detailed investigation.

According to Anant Sinha, CEO of Devkamal Hospital in Ranchi, the air ambulance had been arranged by the family of a 41-year-old burn patient, Sanjay Kumar, a resident of Chandwa in Latehar district. He had suffered 65 per cent burn injuries and was admitted to the hospital on February 16. His family decided to shift him to Delhi for advanced treatment and arranged the air ambulance. The patient left the hospital around 4:30 pm on Monday.

An Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) team is being dispatched to probe the incident, while district administration teams have already reached the crash site to carry out search and rescue operations.

Expressing grief over the tragedy, former Jharkhand Chief Minister and BJP leader Champai Soren said he was deeply saddened by the news and prayed for strength for the bereaved families.

According to the DGCA website, Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd operates six aircraft in its fleet, including the one involved in the crash.(Agencies)