Beechcraft C90 was operating a medical evacuation flight when it went down in a forested area of Chatra district
Police and security personnel inspect the site of a Beechcraft air ambulance crash in Chatra, Jharkhand, on February 24, 2026, where all seven people on board were killed, in this screengrab taken from a video. Photo: Reuters
India’s aviation regulator said late on Monday a Beechcraft air ambulance crashed in the eastern state of Jharkhand with seven people on board, including two crew members.
The Beechcraft C90 plane, operated by Redbird Airways, took off from Ranchi in Jharkhand at 19:11pm (1341 GMT) before requesting for deviation due to weather and subsequently losing communication and RADAR contact, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in a statement.
A search and rescue team is at the location and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is being dispatched for investigation, the DGCA said. It was not immediately clear if there were any casualties in the incident.
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All seven people on board were killed in the crash, officials said on Tuesday. The aircraft was operating a medical evacuation (air ambulance) flight and went down in the Kasaria area of Jharkhand, reportedly deep inside a difficult-to-access forest.
Rescue and medical teams reached the site, where doctors declared all seven occupants dead, including two crew members, local administrative official Keerthishree G told reporters.
The DGCA said the aircraft lost radar contact around 23 minutes after take-off. The plane had been flying from Ranchi to Delhi carrying a patient and medical staff. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau has been sent to the site.
In January, a state leader from the western Maharashtra state and four others were killed when their chartered aircraft crashed while landing at the city of Baramati.
