A Ranchi-Delhi air ambulance with seven people on board crashed near Simaria in Jharkhand's Chatra district, Ranchi airport Director Vinod Kumar said. The crash occurred after the air ambulance, operating as flight VTAJV, took off from Ranchi airport at about 7.10 pm, the official said. Search and rescue teams have been dispatched, but there was no immediate confirmation about casualties, officials said.
It was a medical flight carrying seven people on board—one patient, one doctor, one paramedic, two attendants, the pilot-in-command (PIC), and a co-pilot. However, an eyewitness claimed that all those on board the air ambulance died in the crash, stating that all the bodies were found inside the aircraft at the site of the incident.
Details of passengers
The air ambulance was transporting 41-year-old Sanjay Kumar, who had suffered critical burn injuries. He had been admitted to Dev Kamal Hospital and was being shifted by air for further treatment. In addition to the patient, six other people were on board: Ritesh Kumar, Sachin Kumar Mishra, Dr Vikas Kumar Gupta, Archana Devi, and Dhuru Kumar, comprising a doctor, a paramedical staff member, two attendants, and the flight crew.
The ill-fated air ambulance belonged to Red Bird Airways. Contact with air traffic control was lost at 7:34 pm. The pilot-in-command was Vivek Vikash Bhagat, with Savrajdeep Singh as the co-pilot.
The possibility of adverse weather conditions or a technical malfunction is being considered as a potential cause of the incident.
Contact lost after takeoff
According to airport sources, the chartered medical aircraft had taken off from Ranchi and initially established contact with the next air traffic control station. However, after control was handed over, communication with the aircraft was lost. The plane did not make any further contact with Ranchi Airport. "The state authorities have been informed and all necessary Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are being followed," airport sources told news agency PTI.
Sources in the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) also confirmed that the aircraft disappeared from radar shortly after take-off.
Flight details
The aircraft, a Beechcraft King Air BE9L, was operated by Redbird Airways Pvt. Ltd. and departed Ranchi at 1337 UTC (1907 IST). The DGCA in a statement said, "On 23.02.2026 Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd Beechcraft C90 aircraft VT-AJV operating a medical evacuation (Air Ambulance) flight on the sector Ranchi-Delhi crashed in Kasaria Panchayat of Chatra district, in Jharkhand."
According to flight details, VTAJV was flying at Flight Level 140 (F140), though it had requested F180, with an expected time of arrival in Delhi at 1630 UTC (2200 IST). After departure, Ranchi ATC handed over the aircraft to Kolkata Area Control after it crossed 6,000 feet, about 8 nautical miles from the Ranchi VOR.
The aircraft was estimated to cross waypoint ATALI at 1403 UTC (1933 IST). However, the last radio contact was recorded at 1404 UTC (1934 IST) with Kolkata Area Control (UKW sector, VHF 132.25). VHF communication was lost around 100 nautical miles south-east of Varanasi, following which the aircraft did not establish contact with either Varanasi ATC or Lucknow ATC.
Radar replay conducted by Varanasi ATC showed the last radar contact at 1352 UTC (1922 IST), approximately 40 nautical miles from Ranchi at F138, with the aircraft having deviated to the right of its intended track and still 52 nautical miles short of ATALI.
Following the loss of contact, the Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC) was activated at Kolkata at 1435 UTC (2005 IST). The District Collector and Superintendent of Police of the last known location, near Palamau, have been informed to assist in search and rescue operations.
The aircraft's endurance was reported to be 4 hours and 12 minutes.
Panic grips nearby areas
Meanwhile, panic gripped the area after suspicious metal debris was found in the Khasiyatu Karamtand forest under the Simaria police station limits. Initial discussions suggest the debris could be linked to an air ambulance crash, though no official confirmation has been made so far.
Parts resembling a propeller and sections of an engine were visible at the spot. Following the information, the local administration and police teams rushed to the area and began investigations.
The district administration's search and rescue team is at the location, and an Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) team is being dispatched for investigation, the statement said.
(Input: Sanjeet Kumar Mishra, Mukesh Sinha)