Seven people onboard a medical evacuation flight were declared dead after a Beechcraft C90 air ambulance crashed in Jharkhand’s Chatra district on Monday evening. The aircraft, operated by Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd, was flying from Ranchi to Delhi when it went down in dense forest areas under Kasariya Panchayat in Simariya block.
The tragic crash has triggered search, rescue and investigation operations, with state authorities confirming that there were no survivors among the seven people onboard.
Who were the victims?
The air ambulance was carrying 41-year-old patient Sanjay Kumar. Along with him were doctor Vikash Kumar Gupta and paramedic Sachin Kumar Mishra, who were part of the medical team onboard. Two attendants, Archana Devi and Dhuru Kumar, were also travelling in the aircraft. The flight was being operated by pilots Vivek Vikas Bhagat and Savrajdeep Singh, according to the flight manifest.
How did the aircraft crash? Probe underway
The aircraft took off from Ranchi at 19:11 IST on February 23. After establishing contact with Kolkata air traffic control, the pilot reportedly requested a deviation from the planned route due to bad weather conditions, according to a report by ANI.
At around 19:34 IST, the aircraft lost communication and radar contact with Kolkata when it was approximately 100 nautical miles south-east of Varanasi. It failed to re-establish contact with Ranchi Airport thereafter. Authorities were alerted, and search operations were launched in the suspected crash zone. The exact cause of the crash is yet to be determined, and a detailed probe is currently underway.
DGCA issues statement
In a press note, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) stated, “After establishing contact with Kolkata, the aircraft requested deviation due to weather. At 19:34 IST aircraft lost communication and RADAR contact with Kolkata at approximately 100 NM South-East of Varanasi. The District Administration search and rescue team is at the location, and the AAIB team is being dispatched for investigation. Further information will be shared.”
The DGCA has initiated a formal investigation into the incident, while a team from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has been sent to the crash site.
‘Administration on high alert’: Minister orders immediate action
Jharkhand Minister Irfan Ansari on Tuesday morning directed officials to immediately begin search and rescue operations. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Ansari said that the state government is treating the matter with utmost seriousness.
“Upon receiving news of the incident, security agencies and local administration are on high alert. Search and rescue operations have been intensified in the probable area. No official confirmation of any kind has been made yet. I have directed the concerned officials to take immediate necessary action and deploy every possible resource. Our priority is the safe recovery of all passengers…The state government is closely monitoring the situation with utmost seriousness”, he said.