No Black Box Found On Air Ambulance That Crashed In Jharkhand, Redbird Aircraft Unused For 4 Years, Report Shows

New Delhi: In an alarming revelation, no blackbox, cockpit voice recorder, or flight data recorder was found on the aircraft that crashed in Jharkhand on Monday, killing all seven people onboard, official data showed on Wednesday, complicating efforts to reconstruct the final moments of the flight as a part of the probe.

This disclosure was made through a report by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), which further observed noted that there was “no mandatory requirement” for such recorders on the aircraft under prevailing regulations.

No Black Box Under Existing Norms

The AAIB report said that the aircraft’s first Certificate of Airworthiness was issued in 1987.

Under Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR), turbine-engined aircraft with a maximum take-off weight of 5,700 kg or less are required to be fitted with a CVR only if their individual airworthiness certification was issued on or after January 1, 2016. Hence, installation of an FDR is mandatory for aircraft of that weight category only if certified on or after January 1, 1990.

The crashed aircraft, manufactured in 1987 with a maximum take-off weight of 4,583 kg, predated both regulatory cut-off dates. As a result, there was no statutory requirement for either a cockpit voice recorder or flight data recorder to be installed at the time of certification.

Aircraft Unused For 4 years

According to reports, it has also come to light that the aircraft had remained unused between 2018 and 2022 before being acquired by Redbird Airways.

While the reasons for the period of inactivity could not be confirmed, investigators are expected to crosscheck details regarding maintenance of the aircraft, and airworthiness clearances issued prior to its return to service.

Weather Radar Under Scrutiny

It is also being examined whether the onboard weather radar functioned properly during the flight. Officials are investigating whether any kind of malfunction may have affected the performance of the radar or whether the crew may have misinterpreted radar readings while navigating through storm activity along the route.

This comes after reports said two commercial flights operating in the same route earlier had reportedly requested deviations due to weather conditions. The air ambulance had also sought a route deviation before disappearing from radar screens.

Regulatory Spotlight on Redbird

The crash has also drawn attention to Redbird Airways’ regulatory history. Sources said that the operator had been under scrutiny by aviation authorities in recent weeks and had previously received show cause notices for alleged non-compliance with regulatory norms.

A team from the AAIB remains at the crash site as to investigate further, and put together the circumstances that led to the accident.

What Had Happened in Jharkhand

The chartered air ambulance crashed in Jharkhand’s Chatra district after losing contact with Air Traffic Control (ATC) shortly after taking off from Ranchi’s Birsa Munda Airport. The aircraft was en route to Delhi and was carrying seven people, including a patient, a doctor, a paramedic, two attendants, and the pilot and co pilot. There were no survivors following the crash.

According to air traffic sources, the pilot requested for a reroute around 10 minutes after takeoff owing to adverse weather condtions and low visibility. Between 7.20 pm and 7.21 pm, the pilot requested diversion from ATC. The last radio contact was recorded at 7.34 pm with Kolkata Area Control, after which the aircraft disappeared completely from radar.

Debris was later discovered near Simaria in Chatra district confirming the crash

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation confirmed that the aircraft lost radar contact after deviating from its intended route. The Rescue Coordination Centre in Kolkata was activated at 8.05 pm, and local authorities were alerted for search and recovery operations.

Also read: Air Ambulance Crash: Family of Deceased Patient Seeks Compensation, Justice