On Monday evening, an air ambulance headed from Ranchi to Delhi tragically crashed in the Chatra district of Jharkhand, resulting in the death of one individual. The deceased has been identified as Sanjay Kumar, aged 41, who was a burn patient being transported on a medical evacuation flight.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) released a statement confirming that the medical evacuation aircraft crashed in Chatra district while operating on the Ranchi-Delhi sector.
The aircraft was airborne at 7:11 PM and subsequently lost communication and radar contact with Kolkata at 7:34 PM, approximately 100 nautical miles southeast of Varanasi.
Who Were Onboard the Plane?
This aircraft, registered as VT-AJV, was a Beechcraft King Air BE9L operated by Redbird Airways Private Limited. It carried seven individuals, including Captain Vivek Vikas Bhagat as the pilot-in-command and Captain Svarajdeep Singh as the co-pilot. The passenger list comprised Sanjay Kumar (patient), Archana Devi (attendant), Dhruv Kumar (attendant), Dr. Vikas Kumar Gupta (doctor), and Sachin Kumar Mishra (paramedic).
The district administration's search and rescue team has reached the crash site, and a team from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is being dispatched to probe the incident.
Read More: Air Ambulance Crashes En Route from Ranchi to Delhi, Seven Onboard
Who Was the Patient Who Lost His Life in the Plane Crash?
Speaking to India Today, Chief Plastic Surgeon Dr. Anant Sinha from Devika Hospital revealed that Sanjay Kumar, the son of the late Rameshwar Sahu, was admitted to Devkamal Hospital on February 16. At 41 years old, he suffered burns over 65% of his body. Dr. Sinha noted that the patient's condition was critical, prompting his family to decide on transferring him to a higher medical center in Delhi for better treatment.
Dr. Sinha further mentioned that the patient was discharged from the hospital around 4:30 PM on Monday and was subsequently taken to the airport. The family hails from Chandwa in the Latehar district.
