Ranchi, Feb 24:A tragic air ambulance crash occurred in the Kasariya Panchayat area of Chatra district, Jharkhand, on February 23, 2026, claiming the lives of all seven people on board, including two crew members. The incident involved a Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd Beechcraft C90 aircraft, registration VT-AJV, which was on a medical evacuation flight from Ranchi to Delhi.

Confirming the deaths, Sumit Kumar Agarwal, the Superintendent of Police (SP), said that the accident was reported around 10:00 PM and emphasized the difficulties faced by rescuers due to the challenging terrain. "The Delhi team will come here for investigation and try to recover the black box... Total number of deaths is seven," he stated.

Deputy Commissioner Keerthisree G speculated that the crash was caused by a thunderstorm. "The crash was due to a thunderstorm. Unfortunately, the team of doctors found them dead. The total number of people is seven. Two were crew members, and the remaining five were a patient and the patient's family members," she said. She also noted that, while bad weather appears to be the cause, a detailed investigation will confirm the exact reasons behind the accident.

The crash occurred around 7:30 PM when the aircraft, which had taken off from Ranchi at 7:11 PM, lost communication and radar contact with Kolkata. The aircraft, which was approximately 100 nautical miles southeast of Varanasi at the time of the crash, had earlier requested a deviation due to weather conditions. After losing contact, the aircraft disappeared from radar and failed to re-establish communication with Ranchi Airport.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched an investigation into the crash. A team from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is being sent to the site to retrieve the black box and determine the exact cause of the crash.

As of now, the District Administration's search and rescue team is on-site, and further investigations are underway.