All seven on board, including patient, doctor, killed in Jharkhand air ambulance crash

All seven people on board an air ambulance lost their lives as the aircraft crashed in Jharkhand’s Chatra district on Monday while flying to Delhi from Ranchi.

The crash happened shortly after the aircraft took off from the Ranchi airport at 7:11 pm. The service was operated by Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd.

The victims have been identified as crew members Captain Vivek Vikas Bhagat and Captain Savrajdeep Singh, patient Sanjay Kumar, doctor Vikash Kumar Gupta, paramedic Sachin Kumar Mishra, and attendants Archana Devi and Dhuru Kumar.

"The aircraft went missing around 7.30 pm. It crashed at Bariatu Panchayat area in Simaria," she said, adding that the plane crashed deep inside a forest.

"All seven on board the air ambulance were killed in the crash. The plane was on the way to Delhi from Ranchi," Chatra Deputy Commissioner Keerthishree G told PTI.

The bodies of all seven dead have been recovered, SDPO Shubham Khandelwal told PTI.

Redbird, which is a Delhi-based non-scheduled operator, has six aircraft in its fleet including the one that crashed, according to DGCA website.

The air ambulance was arranged by one of the patients from the Devkamal Hospital, according to PTI report quoting hospital CEO Anant Sinha.

"The patient, Sanjay Kumar (41), a resident of Chandwa in Latehar district, was brought to the hospital with 65 per cent burn injuries on February 16. He was being treated in the hospital," Sinha said, adding that the family members decided to take him to Delhi for better treatment.

"They arranged an air ambulance on Monday. The patient left the hospital for Delhi around 4.30 pm," he said.

In a post on X, former Chief Minister and BJP leader Champai Soren said he was deeply saddened by the news of the crash.

"I pray for the deceased individuals, including the crew members aboard the plane from Marang Buru (the supreme tribal deity), and for strength to their families during this difficult time," he posted.

Ranchi airport director Vinod Kumar said that the plane lost contact with the air traffic control about 20 minutes after takeoff.

"Inclement weather could be a reason behind the crash, but the actual cause will be ascertained only after a probe," he said.

In a statement, the DGCA said, "On 23.02.2026 Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd Beechcraft C90 aircraft VT-AJV operating medical evacuation (Air Ambulance) flight on sector Ranchi-Delhi crashed in Kasaria Panchayat of Chatra district, in Jharkhand. There were seven people on board, including two crew members."

"The aircraft was airborne from Ranchi at 19:11 IST. After establishing contact with Kolkata at 19:34 IST, aircraft lost communication and RADAR contact with Kolkata at approximately 100 NM South-East of Varanasi," it added.

A search and rescue team was deployed shortly after the crash by the district administration, while the investigation has been taken over by an Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) team.

(With PTI inputs)