Seven, including two pilots and doctor, die in Chatra air crash; DGCA confirms loss of contact

All seven people on board an air ambulance were killed after the aircraft crashed near Simaria in Jharkhand's Chatra district on Monday evening. The flight was en route from Ranchi to Delhi when the accident occurred, a senior state government official confirmed.

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

The aircraft, operated by Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd, took off from Ranchi airport at 7:11 pm. It reportedly went missing around 7:30 pm before crashing in the Bariatu Panchayat area of Simaria, a densely forested region.

Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Shubham Khandelwal confirmed that all seven bodies had been recovered. The deceased have been identified as: Captain Vivek Vikas Bhagat, Captain Savrajdeep Singh, Sanjay Kumar, Dr Vikas Kumar Gupta, Sachin Kumar Mishra, Archana Devi, Dhuru Kumar

According to Anant Sinha, CEO of Devkamal Hospital in Ranchi, the air ambulance had been arranged for 41-year-old Sanjay Kumar, a resident of Latehar district. He had been admitted on February 16 with 65% burn injuries and was undergoing treatment at the hospital.

A family member said they opted for an air ambulance as his condition was too critical for road travel. Vijay Kumar, a relative, stated that doctors had warned the patient might not survive a long journey by road.

"We initially considered taking him by road, but the doctor said he might collapse on the way. He advised us to arrange an air ambulance if possible. So we decided to transport him by air," Vijay Kumar said. "Later, we saw the news that the plane had crashed."

Local residents reported strong winds, heavy rain, lightning, and thunder in the area at the time of the crash. They said the aircraft went down with a loud explosion during the storm.

Ranchi Airport Director Vinod Kumar said the aircraft lost contact with air traffic control roughly 20 minutes after takeoff. While adverse weather may have contributed to the crash, he emphasised that the exact cause would only be determined after a detailed investigation.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) confirmed that the Redbird Airways Beechcraft C90 aircraft (VT-AJV), operating a medical evacuation flight, lost communication and radar contact after 7:34 pm, approximately 100 nautical miles southeast of Varanasi.

In a statement, the DGCA said the aircraft took off at 7:11 pm and established contact with Kolkata at 7:34 pm before losing both communication and radar signals shortly thereafter.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) team is scheduled to arrive in Chatra to investigate the crash. The aircraft's black box is expected to provide crucial details about the cause. All bodies have been sent for post-mortem examination.

Former Jharkhand Chief Minister and BJP leader Champai Soren expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy. In a post on X, he said he was "deeply saddened" by the loss of all seven people on board.

The All India Trinamool Congress also extended condolences and called for a "thorough and transparent" investigation to determine the exact cause of the crash and ensure stronger safeguards to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Redbird Airways, owned by Akshay Yadav, was established in 2018 and received its permit to operate non-scheduled flights in 2019. According to DGCA records, the airline operates a fleet of six aircraft, including the Beechcraft C90 that crashed on Monday evening.

(With inputs from IANS)