No black box in air ambulance crash in Jharkhand, AAIB team investigates site

NEW DELHI: The Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd Beechcraft C90 (VT-AJV) that crashed in Jharkhand on Tuesday, claiming seven lives, had no black boxes as the aircraft’s maximum takeoff weight is below 5,700 kg, sources said. According to civil aviation rules, cockpit voice recorders (CVR) or flight data recorders (FDR) are not mandated for aircraft with a maximum takeoff weight below 5,700 kg.

A team from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) investigated the crash site on Wednesday and collected evidence from the wreckage to carry out further investigation.

The Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd Beechcraft C90 aircraft, registered VT-AJV, was operating a medical evacuation flight from Ranchi to Delhi when it crashed on Monday evening in Kasariya Panchayat, Simaria block. DGCA officials are collecting evidence from the wreckage to carry out further investigation.

Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Shubham Khandelwal said that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has collected key evidence and will continue investigations tomorrow. He further said that locals reported the aircraft losing balance before it crashed, and recovery and postmortems of all bodies have been completed.

“AAIB (Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau)’s team had come here. They collected all the documents and evidence they deemed important. They will collect evidence tomorrow as well. They will then inform us of their investigation. The local villagers have also given their statements regarding the manner in which the crash occurred. Locals say that they saw the aircraft losing balance. It crashed 2-3 seconds later. Deployment will continue here. Yes, bodies have handed over, and a postmortem has been done,” Khandelwal said to the reporters.

The aircraft had taken off from Ranchi at 19:11 IST and lost communication and radar contact with Kolkata at approximately 100 NM South-East of Varanasi. As per an official statement from the Council of Indian Aviation, the aircraft had taken off from Ranchi at 19:11 IST and lost radar and communication contact near 100 NM south-east of Varanasi.

#WATCH | An air ambulance, with seven people (including 2 crew members) on board, crashed in Kasariya Panchayat, Simariya block of Chatra district, in Jharkhand.

It was a Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd Beechcraft C90 aircraft VT-AJV operating a medical evacuation (air ambulance)… pic.twitter.com/xmr9OOcdNh

— ANI (@ANI) February 24, 2026

Meanwhile, the relatives of patient Sanjay Kumar, who lost his life in the air ambulance crash, shared their ordeal, saying that his condition continued to worsen during the treatment, and the doctor advised taking him by air.

The ill-fated Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd Beechcraft C90 aircraft, registered VT-AJV, was operating a medical evacuation flight from Ranchi to Delhi when it went down in Kasariya Panchayat under Simaria block on Monday evening at around 7:30 pm. All seven onboard, including two crew members, lost their lives.

Vijay Kumar, a relative of the patient Sanjay Kumar and his wife Archana Devi, stated that a fire broke out at his hotel, causing burn injuries while trying to escape. Upon consultation, the doctor advised the family to avoid road travel to transfer him to Delhi as he could collapse midway. The total cost for the Air Ambulance was around Rs. 8 lakh.

“A fire broke out in the hotel. He went inside to check and tried to put out the fire. When he realised that he was not able to put out the fire, he tried to run back out and fell. He got burned during that… During his treatment, his condition continued to worsen. We consulted the doctor about whether we should take him to Delhi by road. But the doctor told us that if we took him by road, he could collapse midway. So we considered saving him and not the money. We somehow managed to arrange the expenses by borrowing. The air ambulance arrived here from Delhi. We were there till the it had taken flight around 7 pm. When we got back home, we heard this news. The plane ride cost us around Rs 8 lakh. We were Rs 3 lakh short. It took us a while to arrange for that…” he said.

Sujit Kumar, another relative of the deceased, demanded justice and compensation for the children and family of the deceased. He also noted that Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd only cared about money, stating that the company said that the patient would not be transferred if the whole amount was not paid.

“Sanjay Kumar and Archana Devi used to run a ‘dhaba’. A fire broke out there due to a short circuit and gas leakage. His legs and arms got burned. He was taken to Ranchi for treatment. He was referred to Delhi… What happened to him was unjust. His children and family should be compensated… He had borrowed money from relatives and friends… our brother should be given justice… The company told us that if we didn’t give them the whole amount, they wouldn’t take him to Delhi. They only cared about the money. They didn’t pay attention to the weather…” he said.

Meanwhile, the investigation into the crash was under way. A team from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) reached the site on Tuesday to examine the wreckage. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) collected key documents and evidence and said it would continue the probe.

Sub-Divisional Police Officer Shubham Khandelwal said locals had reported seeing the aircraft lose balance moments before the crash. He said locals saw the aircraft losing balance and that it crashed 2-3 seconds later, adding that the bodies had been handed over and postmortems had been conducted.

Eyewitness Pawan Yadav told officials that the aircraft had appeared unstable before a loud explosion was heard amid light rain and poor weather conditions. The aircraft had taken off from Ranchi and had lost radar and communication contact at a distance of 100 nautical miles south-east of Varanasi before crashing. (ANI)