'It crashed due to...': Officials suspect cause of air ambulance crash in Jharkhand after 7 people lose lives

The plane crashed on Monday

• Seven dead in air ambulance crash in Jharkhand's Chatra district
• Crash occurred during adverse weather, probe underway
• Victims include two pilots, a patient, and family members

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Seven people lost their lives on Monday night after a Ranchi to Delhi air ambulance went down in Jharkhand’s Chatra district, marking another aviation tragedy for the country. Authorities have initiated an investigation into the cause of the crash.

The aircraft, a Beechcraft C90 VT-AJV operated by Delhi based Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd, was transporting a patient to the national capital when it crashed near Simaria. According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, the plane had taken off from Ranchi and established contact with Kolkata air traffic control before requesting a route deviation because of adverse weather conditions. Minutes later, at 7:34 pm, communication and radar contact were lost.

Ranchi airport director Vinod Kumar said inclement weather may have played a role in the accident, though he emphasised that the exact cause would be determined only after a detailed probe.

Chatra Deputy Commissioner Keerthishree G indicated that rough weather conditions were likely responsible. “It crashed due to a thunderstorm... Unfortunately, the team of doctors found them dead. The total number of people is seven. Two were crew members, and the remaining five were a patient and the patient's family members,” she told reporters.

Among those killed were the two pilots, Captain Vivek Vikas Bhagat and Captain Savrajdeep Singh, along with Sanjay Kumar, Dr Vikas Kumar Gupta, Sachin Kumar Mishra, Archana Devi and Dhuru Kumar. All bodies have been shifted to Sadar Hospital in Chatra for post mortem examination.

Sanjay Kumar, the patient on board, had suffered severe burn injuries in an accident caused by a short circuit at his hotel in Chandwa town of Latehar district. He had been undergoing treatment in Ranchi before his family arranged for his transfer to Delhi for advanced care. The family, which reportedly comes from a modest background, had hired the air ambulance after borrowing money from relatives.

Investigators from the aviation regulator are examining the sequence of events leading up to the crash, including the weather conditions and the aircraft’s final communication before radar contact was lost.