An air ambulance flying from Ranchi to New Delhi crashed in Jharkhand’s Chatra district on Monday night, killing all seven people onboard. According to officials, the aircraft had requested a route deviation due to bad weather shortly before losing contact.
The Beechcraft C90 (VT-AJV), operated by Delhi-based Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd, took off from Birsa Munda Airport at 7:11 pm, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said. Shortly after takeoff, the pilots contacted Kolkata Air Traffic Control (ATC). Subsequently, they requested a deviation because of inclement weather.
Aircraft Lost Contact Mid-Flight
However, at 7:34 pm, controllers lost communication and radar contact with the aircraft about 100 nautical miles southeast of Varanasi. Meanwhile, Varanasi ATC conducted a radar replay and recorded the last radar signal at 7:22 pm. After that, the aircraft did not establish contact with either Varanasi or Lucknow ATC.
Seven People Killed in Crash
Tragically, the crash claimed all seven lives onboard. Chatra Deputy Commissioner Keerthishree G confirmed the fatalities.
The victims include Sanjay Kumar (41), who was travelling for treatment after suffering 63% burn injuries. Additionally, Dr Vikas Kumar Gupta and paramedic Sachin Kumar Mishra were part of the medical team. Two attendants, Archana Devi and Dhuru Kumar, also lost their lives. Furthermore, captains Vivek Vikas Bhagat and Savrajdeep Singh operated the flight.
Weather Likely Factor, Probe Underway
Ranchi Airport Director Vinod Kumar said bad weather may have contributed to the crash. However, investigators will determine the exact cause after completing a detailed probe.
Notably, the accident comes amid growing concerns over safety standards for non-scheduled and charter operators. Earlier, the DGCA announced special audits of such operators. However, authorities have not yet released those findings.
Redbird Airways, founded in 2018, operates seven aircraft and provides round-the-clock air ambulance and charter services. Now, investigators aim to reconstruct the sequence of events to determine what led to the fatal crash.
