Air Ambulance From Ranchi to Delhi Crashes In Chatra; All 7 On Board Killed

An air ambulance flying from Ranchi to Delhi crashed in Kasaria Panchayat of Chatra district, Jharkhand, with seven people on board, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said on Monday. All seven passengers are reportedly killed in the crash.

In a statement, the aviation regulator said the District Administration’s search-and-rescue team had reached the crash site, while a team from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) was being dispatched to investigate the incident. Further details are awaited.

According to the DGCA, the Beechcraft C90 aircraft (VT-AJV), operated by Delhi-based Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd, was conducting a medical evacuation flight on the Ranchi-Delhi sector when it crashed. There were seven people on board, including two crew members.

The aircraft took off from Ranchi at 19:11 IST. After establishing contact with Kolkata at 19:34 IST, it lost communication and radar contact at approximately 100 nautical miles south-east of Varanasi.

The Beechcraft King Air (BE9L) medical charter flight had departed at 7:07 pm and lost contact with Air Traffic Control around 7:34 pm near Palamu in northwestern Jharkhand. The expected time of arrival in Delhi was 10 pm.

Those on board included one patient, one doctor, one paramedic, two attendants, a pilot and a co-pilot. Rescue operations were underway as authorities worked to ascertain further details.

Baramati Crash Report Due By Feb 28

Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said the preliminary report on the Learjet 45 crash in Baramati, in which NCP leader Ajit Pawar and four others died, would be released on or before February 28.

He said the report would be issued within one month of the January 28 accident. The Civil Aviation Ministry reiterated that its regulatory bodies remain committed to transparency, safety oversight and accountability, urging stakeholders to avoid speculation and allow statutory investigations to proceed as per established procedures.