Air Ambulance Crashes After Takeoff From Ranchi, All 7 On Board Killed

Jharkhand: A major accident occurred with an air ambulance taking off from Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand. An air ambulance (Redbird Airways' Beechcraft C90, registration VT-AJV) going from Ranchi to Delhi crashed just 23 minutes after takeoff on Monday evening. All 7 people on board the plane died—two crew members (pilots), a doctor, a paramedic, the patient and his two companions. These people were trying to save a life, but everything ended on the way.

When and how did the accident happen?

The plane took off from Birsa Munda Airport in Ranchi at 7:11 pm. Initially everything was normal. Kolkata ATC was contacted, but the pilot asked for permission for deviation due to bad weather. Soon after, at 7:34 pm it disappeared from radar and contact was completely lost. The last location was about 100 nautical miles southeast of Varanasi. DGCA immediately issued alert, search and rescue started.

Where was the crash site found?

The debris was found in a dense forest of Kasariya (or Kasaria/Bariatu/Kasiatu) panchayat in Simaria block of Chatra district – near Karmatand village. The area is so wild and inaccessible that it was difficult to reach. The villagers heard a loud bang and saw an object falling from the sky. The crash was confirmed around 10 pm. The plane was completely disintegrated. Rescue teams (police, administration, disaster response) recovered all 7 bodies.

Names and details of the deceased

• Pilots: Captain Vivek Vikas Bhagat and Captain Swarajdeep Singh
• Doctor: Dr. Vikas Kumar Gupta
• Paramedic: Sachin Kumar Mishra
• Patient: Sanjay Kumar (41 years, resident of Chandwa, Latehar district) – Admitted to Devkamal Hospital Ranchi on February 16 with 65% burn injury, was being taken to Delhi for better treatment.
• Companions: Archana Devi and Dhuru Kumar (relatives or attendants of the patient)

Everyone has been identified and the bodies have been recovered.

VIDEO | An air ambulance with seven people onboard to Delhi from Ranchi crashed near Simaria in Jharkhand's Chatra district on Monday, Ranchi airport Director Vinod Kumar said.

The crash occurred after the air ambulance took off from Ranchi airport at about 7.10 pm, the official… pic.twitter.com/4ZgxOMKLUo

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) February 23, 2026

What is the reason for the crash?

Initial reports suggest thunderstorm or bad weather was the main reason. The deputy commissioner said, "The crash seems to have happened due to thunderstorm." The pilot himself had asked for weather deviation. But the team of DGCA and AAIB (Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau) is investigating. A team is going from Delhi to recover the black box. Technical fault or any other reason – everything will be seen.

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

What is happening now?

Complete information has been given to the state government. Local administration is on the spot, investigation is going on. This accident is extremely heartbreaking – so many lives were lost in the hope of saving one patient. The pain of the families is beyond imagination. It is hoped that the investigation will be completed soon, the truth will come out and strict steps will be taken to prevent such accidents.