- By Akansha Pandey
- Tue, 24 Feb 2026 08:47 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
An ambulance that crashed near Jharkhand's Chatra district on Monday evening had requested for deviation due to bad weather, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in a press release.
According to the aviation regulator, the aircraft lost all communication and radar contact shortly after this request, with its last known position recorded approximately 100 nautical miles southeast of Varanasi. The crash took place shortly after the aircraft operated by Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd took off from Ranchi airport at 7.11 pm. All seven on board the air ambulance were killed in the crash.
#WATCH | Chatra, Jharkhand | On air ambulance crash in Simariya block, DC Keerthishree G says, "It crashed due to a thunderstorm... Unfortunately, the team of doctors found them dead. The total number of people is 7. Two were crew members, and the remaining five were a patient… https://t.co/YOYVIHUfhf pic.twitter.com/WjS7lo17Xo
— ANI (@ANI) February 24, 2026
"The aircraft was airborne from Ranchi at 19:11 IST. After establishing contact with Kolkata, aircraft requested for deviation due to weather, at 19:34 IST aircraft lost communication and RADAR contact with Kolkata at approximately 100 NM South-East of Varanasi," DGCA said in a statement.
Press Note on Crash of Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd Beechcraft C90 aircraft VT-AJV@MoCA_GoI pic.twitter.com/gmrbij1hjN
— DGCA (@DGCAIndia) February 23, 2026
Who Were The Victims
According to Chatra DC Keerthishree G, seven victims included two crew members and five passengers. SDPO Shubham Khandelwal stated that all bodies have been recovered and identified as:
Crew: Captain Vivek Vikas Bhagat and Captain Savrajdeep Singh
Medical And Passenger Team: Dr Vikas Kumar Gupta and Sachin Kumar Mishra
Patient And Family: Sanjay Kumar, Archana Devi and Dhuru Kumar.
ALSO READ: Jharkhand: All 7 Onboard Ranchi-Delhi Air Ambulance Killed In Crash | Latest Updates
The patient, 41-year-old Sanjay Kumar, was a resident of Chandwa in Latehar. He had been receiving treatment at Devkamal Hospital in Ranchi for 65 per cent burn injuries since February 16. His family had arranged the private air ambulance to move him to Delhi for specialised care.
Investigation And Official Response
Ranchi Airport Director Vinod Kumar noted that while inclement weather is a suspected factor, the definitive cause will be determined through a formal inquiry. The District Administration’s search and rescue team reached the crash site in Kasaria Panchayat quickly, and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has been dispatched to lead the investigation.
Redbird Airways, a non-scheduled operator, reportedly has six aircraft in its fleet, including the one involved in this fatal mission. Further details are expected as the AAIB investigation progresses.