Medical plane crashes in India shortly after take-off killing all seven on board
An airplane carrying seven people crashed in India a little more than 20 minutes after takeoff.
On Monday, Feb. 23, Press Trust of India (PTI) confirmed the mass casualty event, citing a government official. The incident happened near Simaria in Jharkhand’s Chatra district while an air ambulance was transporting medical staff and passengers, per the outlet.
Keerthishree G confirmed to the PTI that the aircraft "went missing" around 7:30 p.m. local time before crashing at Bariatu Panchayat area in Simaria, killing all seven passengers on board. She noted that the crash site is deep inside a forest.
"All seven on board the air ambulance were killed in the crash," Chatra Deputy Commissioner Keerthishree G told PTI. "The plane was on the way to Delhi from Ranchi."
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in India confirmed the incident on social media. At 7:11 p.m. local time, the Redbird Airways vt Ltd Beechcraft C90 aircraft VT-AJV departed Ranchi and crashed in Kasaria Panchayat of Chatra district, in Jharkhand, just over 20 minutes later, the DGCA said.
“After establishing contact with Kolkata, aircraft requested for deviation due to weather, at 19:34 IST aircraft lost communication and RADAR contact with Kolkata at approximately 100 NM South-East of Varanasi," the agency continued. "The District Administration search and rescue team is at the location and the AAIB team is being dispatched for investigation. Further information will be shared."
According to India Today, the victims have been identified as Captain Vivek Vikas Bhagat, the pilot-in-command, and Captain Savrajdeep Singh, the co-pilot. The medical team and passengers were identified as patient Sanjay Kumar; attendants Archana Devi and Dhuru Kumar; Dr. Vikas Kumar Gupta; and paramedic Sachin Kumar Mishra.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) will be investigating the cause of the crash, per India Today.