NEW DELHI — An air ambulance flying from Ranchi to Delhi with seven people onboard crashed in Kasaria Panchayat of Chatra district in Jharkhand on Monday, according to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.
The aviation regulator said a district administration search-and-rescue team has reached the crash site and that an Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau team is being dispatched to conduct a formal investigation. Further details will be shared as they become available.
In a statement, the DGCA said the aircraft, a Beechcraft C90 operated by Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd, was carrying out a medical evacuation flight when the crash occurred. The seven people onboard included two crew members.
The aircraft departed Ranchi at 7:11 p.m. and established contact with Kolkata air traffic control before losing communication and radar contact at around 7:34 p.m., approximately 100 nautical miles southeast of Varanasi. The expected arrival time in Delhi was 10 p.m.
Officials said the medical charter flight was carrying one patient, one doctor, one paramedic, two attendants, a pilot, and a co-pilot. Rescue operations were underway, and authorities said more information would be released as it emerges.
Separately, Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said a preliminary report on a recent Learjet 45 crash in Baramati, in which NCP leader Ajit Pawar and four others were killed, is expected to be released on or before February 28.
The Civil Aviation Ministry has urged stakeholders to avoid speculation, stating that regulatory bodies remain committed to transparency, safety oversight, and accountability while statutory investigations are carried out in accordance with established procedures. (Source: IANS)
