(Image source from: Timesofindia.indiatimes.com)
All seven individuals aboard an air ambulance tragically lost their lives when the plane went down close to Simaria in the Chatra district of Jharkhand on Monday evening. The flight was traveling from Ranchi to Delhi at the time of the incident, according to a senior state government official. "The crash resulted in the death of all seven individuals on the air ambulance. The aircraft was heading to Delhi from Ranchi," stated Chatra Deputy Commissioner Keerthishree G to the PTI news agency. The aircraft, which was managed by Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd, departed from Ranchi airport at 7:11 PM. As per Deputy Commissioner Keerthishree G, the plane was reported missing around 7:30 PM and subsequently collided in the Bariatu Panchayat area of Simaria, which is heavily wooded. Anant Sinha, the CEO of Devkamal Hospital in Ranchi, informed that the air ambulance had been organized for Sanjay Kumar, a 41-year-old man from Latehar district. He had been hospitalized on February 16 due to severe burn injuries covering 65% of his body and was receiving care at the hospital. A family member of the patient mentioned that they chose an air ambulance since his state was too critical for ground transportation. Vijay Kumar, a relative, stated that the doctor had indicated that the patient might not endure a road trip.
"We attempted to transport him (the patient) by road, but the doctor advised against it. He mentioned the patient could faint during the journey," Vijay Kumar shared with reporters. "The doctor recommended that if we could book an air ambulance, we should do that. Therefore, we made the decision to use the air ambulance. ""Later, we found out through the news that the plane had crashed," he continued. Local residents noted that when the crash happened, the area was under severe winds, heavy rainfall, lightning, and loud thunder. They reported that the plane went down with a loud noise amidst the stormy conditions. Vinod Kumar, the airport director in Ranchi, stated that the aircraft lost contact with air traffic control about 20 minutes after taking off. Although poor weather might have played a role in the crash, he stressed that the precise reason would only be determined after a thorough investigation. "Bad weather might have contributed to the crash, but the true cause will only be established following an inquiry," he remarked.
A statement from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, or DGCA, stated that the Beechcraft C90 airplane, registered as VT-AJV and belonging to Redbird Airways, which was conducting a medical evacuation flight, lost all communication and radar signal with Kolkata after 7:34 pm, approximately 100 nautical miles southeast of Varanasi. "On February 23, 2026, the Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd Beechcraft C90, identified as VT-AJV, was involved in a medical evacuation (Air Ambulance) flight from Ranchi to Delhi when it crashed in the Kasaria Panchayat area of the Chatra district in Jharkhand. There were seven individuals on the flight, including two crew members. The aircraft took off from Ranchi at 19:11 IST. It made contact with Kolkata at 19:34 IST, but soon lost its communication and radar signal while located roughly 100 nautical miles southeast of Varanasi," the DGCA mentioned. A team from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, or AAIB, is set to arrive in Chatra at 1:00 pm to examine the airplane crash. The black box is anticipated to provide insight into what caused the situation. The remains of all the victims have been retrieved and transported to the hospital for examination. Champai Soren, a former chief minister of Jharkhand and a member of the BJP, expressed profound sadness regarding the unfortunate event.
Redbird Airways, which was founded in 2018 by Akshay Yadav, received its license to operate non-scheduled flights in 2019, as stated on its website. According to the DGCA website, the airline has a total of six aircraft in its fleet, which includes the one that crashed on Monday night.
