Emergency gripped Jharkhand late Monday as an air ambulance plummeted into a forested area en route to the capital. DGCA’s statement detailed the crash of Redbird Airways’ Beechcraft C90 (VT-EJV) in Chatra district’s Kasariya, carrying a full medical team and patient toward Delhi.
The seven passengers included the ill individual, attending physician, paramedic, two assistants, and flight crew. Launching from Ranchi around 7:11 PM, communication severed abruptly at 7:34 PM post-Kolkata handoff, last tracked 100 NM southeast of Varanasi near Palamu.
Smoke sightings and explosion sounds from Karamatand prompted resident alerts, dispatching district rescue squads. Harsh geography hampers progress, but coordinated teams from police, admin, and NDRF equivalents persist.
Investigation teams from AAIB head to the site, while ED CAP oversees data aggregation. No cause identified yet—weather, mechanical failure, or otherwise under scrutiny. Delhi landing slotted for 10 PM turned nightmare.
This crash spotlights air medical transport risks in India’s hinterlands. As night falls, prayers for survivors mount, with aviation watchdogs promising transparency and safety reforms.