New Delhi, February 23 – The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said on Monday that an air ambulance from Ranchi to Delhi, carrying seven people, crashed in the Kasaria Panchayat of the Chatra district, Jharkhand.
The district administration's search and rescue team is at the location, and the AAIB team is being dispatched for investigation. Further information will be shared, the aviation regulator said in a statement.
"On February 23, 2026, the Beechcraft C90 aircraft, VT-AJV, operated by Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd, was carrying out a medical evacuation flight (Air Ambulance) between Ranchi and Delhi, and crashed in the Kasaria Panchayat of the Chatra district, in Jharkhand. There were seven people on board, including two crew members," the DGCA said.
The aircraft took off from Ranchi at 7:11 PM IST. After establishing contact with Kolkata at 7:34 PM IST, the aircraft lost contact, and radar contact with Kolkata was lost approximately 100 NM southeast of Varanasi.
The aircraft was a Beechcraft King Air (BE9L) medical charter flight (operated by Redbird Airways based in Delhi) from Ranchi to Delhi. It took off at 7:07 PM and lost contact around 7:34 PM near Palamu in northwestern Jharkhand.
Among the seven people on board were 1 patient, 1 doctor, 1 paramedic, 2 attendants, a pilot, and a co-pilot. The rescue operation was underway, and more details were expected to emerge.
The expected time of landing in Delhi was 10:00 PM. The aircraft lost contact with Air Traffic Control at 7:34 PM.
Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Murlidhar Mohol, said that the preliminary report on the Learjet 45 plane crash in Baramati, in which NCP leader Ajit Pawar and four others died, will be released on or before February 28.
Speaking to reporters at an event here, Mohol said, "The preliminary report will be out within one month of the accident on January 28, which is on or before February 28."
The Civil Aviation Ministry said on Thursday that "its regulatory bodies remain fully committed to transparency, safety oversight, and accountability. Stakeholders are requested to refrain from speculation and allow the statutory investigation and regulatory processes to proceed in accordance with established procedures."
