Jharkhand Air Ambulance Crash: Chatra Deputy Commissioner Says Aircraft Crashed Due to Thunderstorm

All seven onboard the ill-fated air ambulance died when the small aeroplane crashed near Simaria in Chatra district of Jharkhand on Monday evening, February 23, while heading towards Delhi from Ranchi. The small aircraft belonging to Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd lost its altitude after departing from Ranchi Airport at around 7.11 pm.

Ranchi Airport Director Vinod Kumar, while speaking to the news agency PTI, told the air ambulance lost contact with Air Traffic Control (ATC) 20 minutes after taking off. The aircraft went missing at around 7.30 pm and was found with debris its at Bariatu Panchayat area in Simaria. 

#WATCH | Chatra, Jharkhand | On air ambulance crash in Simariya block, DC Keerthishree G says, "It crashed due to a thunderstorm... Unfortunately, the team of doctors found them dead. The total number of people is 7. Two were crew members, and the remaining five were a patient… https://t.co/YOYVIHUfhfpic.twitter.com/WjS7lo17Xo

— ANI (@ANI) February 24, 2026

According to Chatra Deputy Commissioner Keerthishree G he crash site lies in a remote forested area. She claimed the aircraft crashed due to a thunderstorm. "Unfortunately, the team of doctors found them dead. The total number of people is 7. Two were crew members, and the remaining five were a patient and the patient's family members," Keerthishree G said.

Bodies of all seven people who died in the crash have been recovered and sent to the postmortem, said SDPO  Shubham Khandelwal.

The victims of the air ambulance were identified as Captain Vivek Vikas Bhagat, Captain Savrajdeep Singh, Sanjay Kumar, Dr Vikas Kumar Gupta, Sachin Kumar Mishra, Archana Devi and Dhuru Kumar.

Also Read | All 7 killed in Jharkhand's Chatra air ambulance crash.

CEO of Devkamal Hospital in Ranchi, Anant Sinha, said the air ambulance was arranged for one of the hospital's patients. He further revealed that the 41-year-old patient, Sanjay Kumar, resident of Chandwa in Latehar district, was admitted to the hospital on February 16 due to his 65% burn injuries. For further treatment, the family decided to transport him to Delhi via air ambulance. 

Delhi-based aircraft Redbird runs a fleet of six aircraft, one of which was involved in the crash, according to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. “On 23.02.2026 Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd Beechcraft C90 aircraft VT-AJV operating medical evacuation (Air Ambulance) flight on sector Ranchi-Delhi crashed in Kasaria Panchayat of Chatra district, in Jharkhand. There were seven people on board, including two crew members,” DGCA in a statement issued on Tuesday.

DGCA further revealed the timings of the jet said the aircraft took off from Ranchi at 7.19 PM on Monday, after establishing contact with Kolkata ATC. At around 7.34 pm, the ill-fated jet lost control from ATC and RADAR at approximately 100 NM South-East of Varanasi.

However, a few hours after it was found crashed in a forest site. After receiving the information district administration's search and rescue team, along with the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), rushed to the crash site.

Meanwhile, former chief minister and BJP leader Champai Soren took to X and expressed deep sorrow over the crash. He said he prayed to Marang Buru, the supreme tribal deity, for the departed souls, including the crew members, and asked for strength and support for their families in this difficult time.