Thunderstorm, ATC Call, Then Silence: What Likely Caused the Ranchi-Delhi Air Ambulance Crash

Chatra: A medical evacuation flight from Ranchi to Delhi crashed in a dense forest near Simaria in Chatra district late Monday, killing all seven people on board, officials confirmed. Preliminary information suggests that severe weather played a key role in the tragedy, with the aircraft requesting a route deviation due to bad conditions before it disappeared from radar contact.

According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the Beechcraft C90 plane (registration VT-AJV), operated by Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd, took off from Ranchi’s Birsa Munda Airport at 7:11 pm. As it climbed to avoid stormy conditions, the flight crew requested a deviation from their planned path because of inclement weather - heavy rain, strong winds and thunderstorms were reported in the region. Shortly thereafter, at around 7:34 pm, the aircraft lost communication and radar contact with ATC, roughly 100 NM southeast of Varanasi, and vanished from Kolkata controllers’ screens.

"The air ambulance from Ranchi with seven people onboard crashed near Simaria in Chatra district. The report of the crash was received from the state administration," Ranchi airport Director Vinod Kumar said.

Chatra Deputy Commissioner Keerthishree G said the plane crashed in a thunderstorm and added that the site lies deep within thick jungle, making access extremely challenging. “All seven on board the air ambulance were killed in the crash. The plane was on the way to Delhi from Ranchi,” she told reporters, while stressing that a detailed investigation by aviation authorities will confirm the exact cause.

According to the official passenger manifest, those on board the aircraft were identified as pilots Capt Vivek Vikas Bhagat and Capt Savrajdeep Singh; the patient, Sanjay Kumar; attendents Archana Devi and Dhuru Kumar; a doctor, Dr Vikash Kumar Gupta; and paramedic Sachin Kumar Mishra. Officials said Sanjay Kumar, 41, was being transferred to Delhi for advanced treatment of severe burn injuries.

Ramesh Kumar, Second-in-Command of the SSB, said rescue teams faced extreme difficulty reaching the crash site after receiving information about the downed aircraft. He explained that the location lay deep inside a forested area with no road access for nearly two kilometres, making night-time operations especially challenging. When teams arrived, they found no survivors and began the arduous task of retrieving the bodies.

The DGCA and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) have launched a full probe into the crash. Teams from Delhi are expected to recover the aircraft’s black box and piece together data from the final moments before the aircraft disappeared from radar to determine whether weather, technical issues, or other factors led to the fatal accident. 

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