Takeoff at 7:11 pm, Contact Lost Minutes Later: Jharkhand Air Ambulance Crash — Timeline and Key Details

Seven people were killed after an air ambulance flying from Ranchi to New Delhi crashed in Jharkhand’s Chatra district on Monday night, officials said. The medical flight, which was scheduled to reach the national capital around 10 pm, went down before completing its journey.

According to a statement by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, the Beechcraft C90 aircraft operated by Redbird Airways lost communication and radar contact shortly after take-off. The aircraft, bearing tail number VT-AJV, last established contact with Kolkata before disappearing from radar approximately 100 nautical miles southeast of Varanasi. It subsequently crashed in a forested area near Simaria in Jharkhand.

Citing airport sources, PTI reported that the aircraft had established contact with the next air traffic control station after departure, following which control was handed over. “After this, contact was lost. The plane did not contact Ranchi Airport again,” an official said.

All seven occupants — including the pilot, co-pilot, patient, and medical staff — were declared dead after authorities were alerted to the crash around 10:20 pm.

Police officials said reaching the wreckage site was challenging due to the difficult terrain. “We received information about the accident late in the evening. Accessing the location was tough. An investigation team from Delhi will arrive, and efforts will be made to recover the black box,” Chatra Superintendent of Police Sumit Kumar told ANI.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau has launched an investigation into the crash, alongside the aviation regulator.

Third major crash in months

The accident adds to a series of recent fatal incidents in India’s civil aviation sector. Last month, a Learjet 45 crash in Baramati claimed multiple lives, intensifying scrutiny of charter and non-scheduled operators.

The Chatra tragedy also marks the third fatal civilian aviation accident since June 2025, when an Air India Boeing Dreamliner crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad. Authorities are yet to release the final report on that incident.