An air ambulance carrying seven people from Ranchi to Delhi crashed in Jharkhand’s Chatra district this evening, killing one passenger and prompting an official investigation.
The Beechcraft King Air BE9L aircraft, operated by Redbird Airways Private Limited, took off at 7:11 pm but lost contact with Air Traffic Control at 7:34 pm, about 100 nautical miles southeast of Varanasi.
The deceased has been identified as Sanjay Kumar, a 41‑year‑old burn patient being transported to Delhi for treatment. Six others onboard — including pilot Captain Vivek Vikas Bhagat, co‑pilot Captain Savrajdeep Singh, attendants Archana Devi and Dhuru Kumar, Dr. Vikas Kumar Gupta, and paramedic Sachin Kumar Mishra — survived the crash.
District authorities rushed search and rescue teams to the site. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has dispatched a team to probe the cause of the crash.
Officials said the incident raises serious questions about air ambulance safety protocols and operational oversight in India.
