Ranchi-Delhi air ambulance crashes in Jharkhand’s Chatra, all seven on board killed

NEW DELHI: All seven persons on board a Ranchi-Delhi air ambulance were killed after the aircraft crashed near Simaria in Jharkhand’s Chatra district on Monday evening, officials said."All seven on board the air ambulance were killed in the crash. The plane was on the way to Delhi from Ranchi," Chatra deputy commissioner Keerthishree G told PTI. The Beechcraft C90 (VT-AJV) operated by Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd took off from Ranchi airport at 7.11 pm and went missing around 7.30 pm before crashing at Bariatu Panchayat area in Simaria, deep inside a forest. "The aircraft went missing around 7.30 pm. It crashed at Bariatu Panchayat area in Simaria," the deputy commissioner said.SDPO Shubham Khandelwal told PTI that the bodies of all seven persons on board have been retrieved. They have been 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 said the aircraft had established contact with Kolkata air traffic control shortly after takeoff. At 19:34 IST, the crew requested deviation due to weather conditions before communication was lost."On 23.02.2026 Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd Beechcraft C90 aircraft VT-AJV operating medical evacuation (Air Ambulance) flight on sector 'Ranchi-Delhi' crashed in Kasaria Panchayat of Chatra district, in Jharkhand. There were seven persons on board including two crew members. The aircraft was airborne from Ranchi at 19:11 IST. After establishing contact with Kolkata, aircraft requested for 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 said.Ranchi airport director Vinod Kumar said the aircraft lost contact with air traffic control around 20 minutes after takeoff. "Inclement weather could be a reason behind the crash, but the actual cause will be ascertained only after a probe," he said.The district administration's search and rescue team reached the crash site, and an Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau team is being dispatched to investigate the incident.Anant Sinha, CEO of Devkamal Hospital in Ranchi, said the air ambulance had been arranged by the family of a patient. "The patient, Sanjay Kumar (41), a resident of Chandwa in Latehar district, was brought to the hospital with 65 per cent burn injuries on February 16. He was being treated in the hospital," he said, adding that the family members decided to take him to Delhi for better treatment."They arranged an air ambulance on Monday. The patient left the hospital for Delhi around 4.30 pm," he said.In a post on X, former chief minister and BJP leader Champai Soren expressed grief over the incident. "I pray for the deceased individuals, including the crew members aboard the plane from Marang Buru (the supreme tribal deity), and for strength to their families during this difficult time," he posted.According to the DGCA website, Delhi-based non-scheduled operator Redbird has six aircraft in its fleet, including the one that crashed.