All seven onboard Ranchi-Delhi air ambulance killed in crash near Simaria in Jharkhand’s Chatra: DC

All seven people on board the air ambulance died when the plane crashed near Simaria in Jharkhand’s Chatra district on Monday evening (February 23, 2026) while en route from Ranchi to Delhi, a senior state government official said.

The accident occurred shortly after the plane, operated by Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd, took off from Ranchi airport at 7.11 pm.

Chatra Deputy Commissioner Keerthishree G said, “All seven people in the air ambulance lost their lives in the accident. The plane was heading from Ranchi to Delhi.” PTI.

“The plane disappeared around 19.30 in the evening. It crashed in Bariatu Panchayat area of ​​Simaria,” he said, adding that the crash site was deep in the forest.

SDPO Shubham Khandelwal told PTI It was stated that the bodies of all seven people on the ship were recovered. These people have been identified as Captain Vivek Vikas Bhagat, Captain Savrajdeep Singh, Sanjay Kumar, Dr Vikas Kumar Gupta, Sachin Kumar Mishra, Archana Devi and Dhuru Kumar.

According to the DGCA website, Delhi-based non-scheduled operator Redbird has six aircraft in its fleet, including the plane that crashed.

Anant Sinha, CEO of Devkamal Hospital, Ranchi, said: PTI He said the air ambulance was arranged by one of his patients.

“The patient, Sanjay Kumar (41), a resident of Chandwa in Latehar district, was brought to the hospital with 65 per cent burn injuries on February 16. He was receiving treatment at the hospital,” he said, adding that his family members decided to take him to Delhi for better treatment.

“They arranged an air ambulance on Monday. The patient left the hospital for Delhi around 4.30 pm,” he said.

Former Prime Minister and BJP leader Champai Soren, in a post on X, said he was deeply saddened by the news of the accident.

“I pray for the deceased, including the crew members on the plane, from Marang Buru (the supreme tribal deity) and for strength for their families during this difficult time,” he said.

Earlier, Ranchi airport director Vinod Kumar said: PTI It was stated that the plane lost contact with air traffic control approximately 20 minutes after takeoff.

“The cause of the accident may have been bad weather conditions, but the real cause will only be determined after the investigation,” he said.

In its statement, DGCA said, “Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd Beechcraft C90 aircraft VT-AJV, which was operating a medical evacuation (Air Ambulance) flight in the Ranchi-Delhi sector on 23.02.2026, crashed in Kasaria Panchayat in Chatra district of Jharkhand. There were seven people on board, including two crew members.” “The aircraft took off from Ranchi at 19:11 IST. After establishing contact with Kolkata at 19:34 IST, the aircraft lost communication and RADAR link with Kolkata approximately 100 NM Southeast of Varanasi,” the statement added.

In the statement, it was stated that the search and rescue team of the regional administration reached the region and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) team was sent.