An air ambulance from Ranchi to Delhi crashed near Simaria in Jharkhand's Chatra district, killing all seven on board. The aircraft, operated by Redbird Airways, took off from Ranchi airport on Monday evening. Bad weather is suspected as a cause, with an official investigation underway.
An air ambulance en route from Ranchi to Delhi crashed near Simaria in Jharkhand's Chatra district on Monday, February 23, 2026, killing all seven on board. The aircraft, a Beechcraft C90 (VT-AJV) operated by Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd, took off from Ranchi’s Birsa Munda Airport at around 7:11 pm. Contact with air traffic control was lost approximately 20-23 minutes after takeoff.
According to the DGCA, the plane became airborne at 19:11 IST and established contact with Kolkata at 19:34 IST before losing communication and radar contact at about 100 nautical miles south-east of Varanasi. The crash site was in the Karmatad forest area near Charki Tongri under Kasari panchayat or Bariatu Panchayat in Simaria block, located deep inside a forest.
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.” SDPO Shubham Khandelwal stated that the bodies of all seven have been retrieved.
The victims were identified as Captain Vivek Vikas Bhagat, Captain Savrajdeep Singh (pilots), Sanjay Kumar (patient, 41, from Chandwa in Latehar district, admitted on February 16 with 65 per cent burn injuries), Dr Vikas Kumar Gupta, Sachin Kumar Mishra (paramedic), Archana Devi, and Dhuru Kumar (attendants). The patient was being transported to Delhi for better treatment, as per Anant Sinha, CEO of Devkamal Hospital in Ranchi. He said, “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.”
Ranchi airport director Vinod Kumar told PTI, “The plane lost contact with air traffic control around 20 minutes after takeoff. Inclement weather could be a reason behind the crash, but the actual cause will be ascertained only after a probe.” Former Chief Minister Champai Soren posted on X, “I pray for the deceased individuals... and for strength to their families during this difficult time.”
Redbird Airways is a Delhi-based non-scheduled operator with a fleet of six aircraft, founded in August 2019. The DGCA has initiated an investigation, and an Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) team has been dispatched to the site. The district administration’s search and rescue team reached the location. The crash was reported at 10:20 pm. This is the third fatal aviation incident in India recently.
