An air ambulance going from Ranchi to Delhi crashed in Chatra district of Jharkhand on the night of Monday, 23 February 2026. In this accident, all 7 people on board were killed, including a patient. Officials said that the plane had requested to change the route due to weather, but after that the contact was lost. This incident is again raising questions about safety in the aviation sector, especially after the recent Baramati crash.
Let us understand in 6 points when, where and how the accident happened?
- Place and time of the accident: The plane took off from Birsa Munda Airport in Ranchi at 7:11 pm. It crashed in Chatra district of Jharkhand, where all 7 people died.
- Plane details: This was a Beechcraft C90 model plane, whose registration number is VT-AJV. It was being operated by Delhi based Redbird Airways Private Limited.
- Role of weather: After contacting Kolkata ATC, the plane requested for route deviation due to weather. At 7:34 pm, communication and radar contact was lost with Kolkata, which was about 100 NM south-east of Varanasi.
- Identification of those who died: The patients include Sanjay Kumar (41 years, 63% burn injuries), doctor Vikas Kumar Gupta, paramedic Sachin Kumar Mishra, attendants Archana Devi and Dhuru Kumar, pilots Vivek Vikas Bhagat and Swarajdeep Singh.
- Company Background: Redbird Airways was started by Akshay Kumar in 2018. In 2019, it got the permit for non-scheduled flights (charter and air ambulance). According to the company’s website, it provides 24/7 medical evacuation service, which has advanced life-saving equipment.
- Fleet and big background: The company has 7 planes, which include Embraer Legacy 600 and Dassault Falcon 2000. The crash is raising questions on chartered jet operators, especially after the Learjet crash in Baramati in January, where five people, including Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, were killed.
What is being said as the possible reason for the accident?
Ranchi Airport Director Vinod Kumar while talking to the media said, ‘Bad weather could be the reason, but investigation will reveal the real reason.’ This accident has happened at a time when there is a debate on aviation safety. In January, a Learjet crashed in Baramati, Maharashtra, in which 5 people including Deputy CM Ajit Pawar were killed. Even at that time, chartered operators were criticized.
How far has the investigation into the accident reached?
DGCA is now conducting a special audit of all non-scheduled operators, but the reports have not been made public yet. The investigation report of VSR Ventures, the operator of the Baramati crash, has also not come. These incidents show that there is a need for more strict rules on the safety of private jets and air ambulances.
