A tragic air ambulance crash in Jharkhand’s Chatra district has claimed seven lives, prompting an immediate investigation by aviation authorities. The Beechcraft C90 aircraft, operated by Redbird Airways, took off from Ranchi airport at around 7:10 PM on a medical evacuation flight to Delhi. Shockingly, contact was lost just moments after departure, and the plane plummeted near Simaria in Kasaria Panchayat.
The flight carried two pilots—Captain Vivek Vikas Bilagat and Captain Sandeep Singh—along with five passengers: patient Sanjay Kumar, attendants Archana Devi and Dhruv Kumar, doctor Vikas Kumar Gupta, and paramedic Sachin Kumar Mishra. Eyewitnesses reported spotting propeller and engine debris at the crash site, underscoring the severity of the impact.
Airport sources revealed that the aircraft briefly communicated with the next air traffic control station post-handover but vanished from radar shortly thereafter. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) confirmed the plane disappeared from screens almost immediately after takeoff. State officials were alerted promptly, activating standard search and rescue protocols.
District administration teams, including police, rushed to the scene, where local residents had already gathered amid the wreckage. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has been tasked with a thorough probe, dispatching a specialized team to determine the cause—be it technical malfunction, adverse weather, or other factors.
This incident highlights ongoing concerns over air ambulance safety in India’s remote regions, where such services are vital yet operate under challenging conditions. As rescue operations continue, families await answers, and the aviation community mourns the loss of dedicated medical personnel en route to save a life.