The aircraft had a patient, a doctor, a paramedic, two attendants, a pilot in command, and a co-pilot on board. It departed Ranchi at 7:07 pm, with an expected landing time of 10 pm in Delhi. Further detailas are awaited.
A medical chartered plane, a Beechcraft King Air BE9L operated by Delhi-based Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd, crashed in Simaria near Chatra, Jharkhand, on Monday, with all seven people onboard killed. The plane was en route from Ranchi to Delhi and lost contact with Air Traffic Control at 7:34 pm, just 27 minutes after takeoff. The aircraft had a patient, a doctor, a paramedic, two attendants, a pilot in command, and a co-pilot on board. It departed Ranchi at 7:07 pm, with an expected landing time of 10 pm in Delhi.
February 23, 2026
Ranchi Plane crash: What did DGCA say
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation(DGCA) said that the air ambulance lost communication and radar contact after establishing contact with Kolkata at 7:34 pm, approximately 100NM south-east of Varanasi. “On 23.02.2026 Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd Beechcraft C90 aircraft VT-AJV, operating medical evacuation (Air Ambulance) flight on sector “Ranchi-Delhi” crashed in Kasariya Panchayat, Simariya block of Chatra district, in Jharkhand. There were seven persons on board including two crew members. The aircraft was airborne from Ranchi at 19:11 IST. After establishing contact with Kolkata aircraft requested deviation due to weather. At 19:34 IST aircraft lost communication and RADAR contact with Kolkata. The last known position of aircraft was approximately 100 NM South-East of Varanasi,” DGCA reported.
February 23, 2026
According to sources, the air ambulance lost contact with Air Traffic Control at 7:34 pm. The plane crashed in the Kasiyatu forest of Simaria near Chatra, officials said, and its last tracked location was near Palamau.
Ranchi plane crash: Who were the passengers?
All seven passengers, including the patient and crew, are feared dead, official confirmation awaited. The passengers were Sanjay Kumar (patient), Vikash Kumar Gupta(Doctor), Sachin Kumar Mishra(Paramedic) and two attendants, Mrs Archana Devi and Dhuru Kumar, onboard. The pilots were identified as Vivek Vikas Bhagat and Savrajdeep Singh. Earlier, the Ranchi Airport reported that after being transferred to the next station, the plane did not contact Ranchi and that the state government has been informed of the same.”A medical flight took off. Its contact was established with the next station, then the control was handed over to the next station. After this contact was lost. The plane did not contact the Ranchi Airport. The State has been informed about this. All necessary SOPs are being followed,” Ranchi Airport sources stated.
About Beechcraft King Air BE9L
Beechcraft King Air BE9Lis a twin-turboprop aircraft used for corporate transport, medical evacuations, and utility missions. The BE9L series includes variants like C90A, E90, C90GTx, and C90B. It has Dual Pratt & Whitney PT6A engines (500-560 SHP) with a max speed of 270 knots (500 km/h). With a capacity of 6-7 passengers, the plane operates from short, less developed runways. The aircraft is operated by a Delhi-based Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd, the company closely associated with Redbird Flight Training Academy (Redbird Aviation Pvt Ltd), one of India’s largest DGCA-approved flying training organisations with a fleet of approximately 48 aircraft. Redbird Airways is strongly backed by its Managing Director and founder, Mr Akshay Kumar, who has been serving the Aviation Industry for 14 years.
