By Rajiv kumar Chauhan| 24-February-2026
A desperate flight for life ends in tragedy as a Beechcraft C90 crashes in Chatra district, claiming the lives of seven people, including two pilots and a medical team.
In a devastating turn of events, what was meant to be a life-saving mission turned into a horrific tragedy on Monday evening. An air ambulance, rushing a critically injured burn patient from Ranchi to Delhi, crashed into the dense forests of Jharkhand’s Chatra district. Officials have confirmed that all seven people on board perished in the accident.
The aircraft, a Beechcraft C90 operated by Redbird Airways, took off from Ranchi’s Birsa Munda Airport at 7:11 PM. It was carrying 41-year-old Sanjay Kumar, a resident of Latehar who had suffered 65% burn injuries and was being moved to a specialized facility in the capital for better treatment.
A Sudden Silence
The flight seemed routine until about 20 minutes after takeoff. Around 7:34 PM, after making contact with air traffic control in Kolkata, the plane suddenly vanished from the radar. Silence fell over the comms, sparking an immediate and frantic search operation.
The wreckage was eventually located deep within the forest of Bariatu Panchayat in the Simaria area. The site was so remote and the impact so severe that rescue teams faced significant challenges reaching the location in the dark.
The Human Toll
On Tuesday morning, the grim task of retrieving the bodies was completed. Among the victims were two pilots, Captain Vivek Vikas Bhagat and Captain Savrajdeep Singh, who died in the line of duty. The medical team—Dr. Vikas Kumar Gupta and Sachin Kumar Mishra—along with the patient’s attendants, Archana Devi and Dhuru Kumar, also lost their lives.
Anant Sinha, CEO of Devkamal Hospital where Sanjay Kumar was initially treated, shared the heartbreaking context: “The family had arranged the air ambulance with so much hope, hoping that Delhi’s advanced care could save him. He left the hospital at 4:30 PM, looking toward a second chance.”
What Went Wrong?
While the exact cause of the crash is still under investigation by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), initial reports suggest that inclement weather in the region might have played a role. The DGCA has noted that the aircraft lost contact approximately 100 nautical miles southeast of Varanasi.
As the bodies are brought to Sadar Hospital for post-mortem, a wave of mourning has hit the state. Former Chief Minister Champai Soren expressed his grief on social media, praying for the families of the deceased who are now grappling with an unimaginable loss.
For now, a quiet gloom hangs over the Simaria forest—a place that witnessed a desperate race against time end in a silent, fiery tragedy.
