Requested deviation due to weather: RanchiDelhi air ambulance lost contact with ATC 20 minutes after takeoff; 2nd crash within a month

2026-02-24

RANCHI/NEW DELHI: A medical evacuation flight from Ranchi to Delhi crashed in Jharkhand’s Chatra district on Monday evening, killing all seven people on board.

The aircraft had requested deviation due to bad weather shortly after takeoff, before going off radar less than half an hour into the flight.

What we know so far:

The aircraft was operating a medical evacuation flight from Ranchi to Delhi and took off at 7:11pm.

Contact with the aircraft was lost at 7.34PM, roughly 23 minutes after takeoff, about 100 nautical miles south-east of Varanasi, according to DGCA sources.

On board were two pilots, a patient identified as Sanjay Kumar, Dr Vikash Kumar Gupta, paramedic S K Mishra, and two attendants. Ranchi Airport sources confirmed the aircraft had established initial contact with Kolkata ATC and requested deviation due to bad weather before losing radar contact.

Villagers in Kasariya Panchayat, Simariya block, reportedly heard a loud bang and saw a large object spiralling down before finding the debris.

Deputy commissioner Keerthishree G said a thunderstorm may have caused the crash, but the exact cause will be determined after investigation.

SDPO Simaria, Shubham Khandelwal, confirmed all seven victims had died and their bodies were recovered.

A team from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and Delhi authorities have been dispatched to the crash site to investigate and recover the black box.

This marks the second small aircraft tragedy in India within a month, following the January 28 crash in Baramati, Maharashtra, that killed Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others.

Villagers reported hearing a loud explosion in the night sky, followed by a large object spinning as it fell. They discovered the wreckage shortly afterward and informed local authorities, who immediately activated standard emergency procedures to locate the aircraft.