CHATRA, Jharkhand, Feb 24: Tragedy struck Monday evening when a Ranchi-bound medical evacuation flight to Delhi plummeted in Chatra district, claiming the lives of all seven people on board, including a patient and medical crew. The crash, the second involving a small aircraft in India within a month, came amid bad weather that the pilots had flagged just before losing contact.
The flight took off from Ranchi Airport at 7:11 PM, heading to Delhi with two pilots, patient Sanjay Kumar, doctor Vikash Kumar Gupta, paramedic S K Mishra, and two attendants. Barely 23 minutes later, at 7:34 PM, it vanished from radar about 100 nautical miles southeast of Varanasi, after initial contact with Kolkata ATC and a request to deviate due to stormy conditions.
Villagers in Kasariya Panchayat, Simariya block, heard a deafening bang around dusk, spotting a fiery object spiraling from the sky. They rushed to the wreckage and alerted authorities. Deputy Commissioner Keerthishree G pointed to a possible thunderstorm as a factor, though the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and Delhi teams are now probing the site for the black box and exact cause.
SDPO Simaria Shubham Khandelwal confirmed all bodies were recovered, with emergency protocols kicking in swiftly. This disaster echoes the January 28 Baramati crash in Maharashtra that killed Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others, raising fresh alarms over small aircraft safety in turbulent weather.
Takeoff & Last Contact: Departed Ranchi 7:11 PM; requested weather deviation, lost at 7:34 PM.
Victims: 2 pilots, 1 patient, 1 doctor, 1 paramedic, 2 attendants—all confirmed dead.
Crash Site: Chatra district; villagers aided quick response.
Investigation: AAIB team en route; black box recovery underway.
Aviation authorities are scrambling to pinpoint if weather, mechanical issues, or other factors were at play, as families grieve and the nation watches closely.
