Jharkhand air ambulance crash: Weather deviation requested, all 7 on board die
An air ambulance flying from Ranchi to Delhi crashed in Jharkhand’s Chatra district on Monday night. The crash killed all seven people on board. The aircraft had requested a route deviation shortly before it lost contact.
According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the aircraft took off from Ranchi at 7:11 pm. Soon after departure, the crew established contact with Kolkata Air Traffic Control at 7:34 pm. They requested an alternate route due to bad weather. However, minutes later, authorities lost communication and radar contact. At that time, the aircraft was about 100 nautical miles southeast of Varanasi.
As a result, aviation authorities began tracking the last known position. Soon after, reports confirmed that the aircraft had crashed in a forested area of Chatra district.
Meanwhile, the Union Civil Aviation Ministry directed the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) to begin a formal probe. Investigators will visit the New Delhi office of flight operator RedBird Aviation. They will review safety audit reports and operational records linked to the aircraft and the company.
RedBird Aviation Managing Director Akshay Kumar confirmed the visit. He said the company underwent a special audit after a recent crash in Baramati. He also said both pilots had adequate experience. Furthermore, he stated that the crew had informed Ranchi Air Traffic Control about poor weather conditions before the crash. The company remains in contact with the AAIB.
On the ground, rescue teams faced severe challenges. The aircraft crashed deep inside a forest. Dense bushes and rough terrain slowed the operation. Officials from the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) led the rescue effort.
The Second-in-Command of the SSB described the situation as extremely difficult. He said the team had to walk nearly two kilometres to reach the site. There was no road access. Moreover, the team carried all seven bodies on foot. They had only one stretcher. Darkness and thick vegetation made movement harder.
By the time rescuers reached the wreckage, no one remained alive.
Local officials in Chatra received information about the accident around 10 pm. However, they struggled to access the crash site due to the terrain. Simariya Block Superintendent Sumit Kumar Agarwal confirmed the delay. He said the team had difficulty navigating the forest at night.
Another official pointed to a thunderstorm as a possible cause. Weather conditions in the region had worsened during the evening. Investigators will now examine whether the storm contributed to the crash.
The aircraft carried two crew members. It also carried a patient and four of his family members.
Authorities identified the deceased patient as Sanjay, a resident of Chandwa town in Latehar district. His wife Archana and a relative named Dhruv also died in the crash. Hospital staff and crew members formed the remaining victims.
Sanjay owned a hotel in Chandwa. Last week, he suffered burn injuries after a short circuit at his hotel triggered an accident. Doctors advised advanced treatment in Delhi. Therefore, the family hired an air ambulance to shift him to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.
To arrange the flight, the family borrowed around Rs 8 lakh from relatives. Sanjay’s brother Ajay, who works with the Haryana government, confirmed the details. He said the family came from a modest background.
Now, investigators will examine weather data, flight records, and maintenance logs. They aim to determine the exact cause of the crash.
