Tragedy struck Jharkhand skies when a Red Bird Aviation air ambulance crashed in Chatra district, killing all seven on board during a mercy flight from Ranchi to Delhi. The incident, unfolding late Monday, has aviation experts and officials scrambling for clues.
Patient Sanjay Kumar, 41, severely burned in a recent fire and treated at Devkamal Hospital, was the mission’s focus. His journey included dedicated support: pilots Vivek Vikas Bhagat and Subrajdeep Singh, relatives Archana Devi and Dhruv Kumar, physician Vikas Kumar Gupta, and nurse Sachin Kumar Mishra.
The Beechcraft C90 took off at 7:11 PM IST. Contacting Kolkata ATC for a weather-induced reroute, it vanished from radar at 7:34 PM, 100 nautical miles southeast. DGCA’s swift alert launched massive search operations in the dense Simaria forests near Karamatand village.
Villagers’ reports of a thunderous impact and smoke plumes guided rescuers to the crash site in Kasariya panchayat. Joint teams from police, administration, and disaster units combed the area, confirming no survivors. The centralized emergency data plan monitors proceedings as wreckage analysis begins.
Chatra SP confirmed the fatalities, with DGCA attributing the flight to routine air ambulance ops. Preliminary theories point to turbulent conditions, but black box data and expert probes will reveal the truth. This heartbreaking event renews calls for enhanced safety protocols in India’s air medical corridors, where every minute counts.