All seven people, including a patient and a doctor, died when an air ambulance crashed in Chatra, Jharkhand on Monday evening. The ambulance had flown from Ranchi to Delhi with the patient. There is a possibility that the accident may have occurred due to a technical fault. Aviation regulator DGCA has ordered the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) to investigate the accident.
2 of 5
Air ambulance crash in Jharkhand – Photo: PTI
These people were on the plane
Ranchi Airport Director Vinod Kumar said that the accident happened near Simaria.
- Captain Vivek Vikas Bhagat
- Captain Swarajdeep Singh
- Sanjay Kumar (Patient)
- Archana Devi (patient’s wife)
- Dhuru Kimar (Patient Attendant)
- Dr. Vikas Kumar Gupta (Doctor)
- Sachin Kumar Mishra (Paramedical Staff)
Second case of chartered plane accident in a month
This is the second case of chartered plane crashing in a month. On January 28, the chartered plane of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar crashed while landing near Baramati in Pune district. Five including Ajit had died.
3 of 5
Air ambulance crash in Jharkhand – Photo: PTI
Takeoff was at 7:10 in the evening
Anant Sinha, CEO of Ranchi’s Devkamal Hospital, said that the family had decided to take the patient to Delhi for better treatment. The air ambulance took off from Ranchi airport at around 7:10 pm. The aircraft lost contact with air control at 7:34 pm. The aircraft was last contacted by Kolkata Air Control, but at 7:34 pm the aircraft lost contact and radar contact with Kolkata approximately 100 nm south-east of Varanasi. According to Varanasi Air Traffic Control, the aircraft did not make any contact with him.
After no trace of the aircraft was found, the Rescue Coordination Center was activated at 8:05 pm and a search for the aircraft was started. Meanwhile, villagers of Simaria area informed the police and administration about a plane falling. Later the wreckage of the aircraft was found in the dense forest of Khasiatu Karam Tand.
4 of 5
Air ambulance crash in Jharkhand – Photo: PTI
What problem did the patient have?
Anant Sinha, CEO of Ranchi’s Devkamal Hospital, said the air ambulance was arranged for one of his patients. Sanjay Kumar (41), a resident of Chandwa in Latehar district, was brought to the hospital with serious 65% burn injuries on February 16. He was undergoing treatment in the hospital, but the family decided to take him to Delhi for better and advanced treatment. The CEO further said that air ambulance was arranged on Monday and the patient left the Ranchi hospital for Delhi at around 4:30 pm.
Villagers searched for the plane in the dense forest using mobile light.
The police team reached the spot and relief and rescue operations were started. The plane fell in a dense forest, where it was pitch dark. The villagers were the first to reach the spot, searching using mobile phone torches and other available means.
5 of 5
Air ambulance crash in Jharkhand – Photo: PTI
DGCA issued statement
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in its statement said, “On February 23, 2026, Beechcraft C90 aircraft VT-AJV of Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd, which was operating a medical ambulance (Air Ambulance) flight from Ranchi to Delhi, crashed at Kasariya Panchayat in Chatra district of Jharkhand. A total of seven people were on board, including two crew members. The aircraft took off from Ranchi at 7:11 pm and contacted Kolkata. But at 7:34 pm the aircraft lost contact and radar contact with Chatra district administration is also being sent to the spot to investigate the accident.