A tragic air crash in Jharkhand claimed seven lives after an air ambulance flying from Ranchi to Delhi went down on Monday night. The aircraft was carrying a critically injured patient along with a full medical team.
Air ambulance crashes in Chatra district
The aircraft was a Beechcraft C90 operated by Redbird Airways. It was transporting 41-year-old Sanjay Kumar, who had suffered serious burn injuries. Doctors were shifting him from Devkamal Hospital in Ranchi to Delhi for advanced treatment when the accident occurred.
Apart from the patient, six others were onboard. These included a doctor, a paramedic, two attendants, and two pilots. All seven people died in the crash.
Aircraft loses contact mid-flight
The plane departed from Birsa Munda Airport in Ranchi at 7:11 pm. After takeoff, it established contact with air traffic control in Kolkata.
Shortly after, the crew informed authorities that they wanted to change their route because of bad weather conditions. Soon after making this request, the aircraft disappeared from radar at around 7:34 pm. At that time, it was nearly 100 nautical miles southeast of Varanasi.
The plane failed to re-establish communication with air traffic control in either Varanasi or Lucknow. This sudden silence immediately raised concerns among aviation officials.
Wreckage found inside forest area
Search efforts later led to the discovery of debris inside the Kasiyatu forest near Simaria in Jharkhand’s Chatra district. The findings confirmed that the aircraft had crashed in the remote area.
Authorities suspect that poor weather may have contributed to the accident. However, officials have not reached any final conclusion. Ranchi airport director Vinod Kumar stated that bad weather was a possible factor, but he clarified that the exact cause would only be known after a detailed investigation.
Investigation underway
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has started collecting evidence to determine what led to the crash. Officials are examining radar data, flight records, and other operational details as part of the probe.
The accident has once again raised serious questions about safety standards in India’s non-scheduled aviation sector. Charter operators and air ambulance services are now under renewed scrutiny.
Redbird Airways, established in 2018, runs charter and medical evacuation flights across the country. The company operates aircraft equipped with medical equipment and trained healthcare teams for emergency transport.
This tragic incident has deeply shocked the aviation and medical communities, highlighting the risks involved in emergency air transfers and the need for strict safety oversight.