A routine air ambulance mission turned catastrophic in Jharkhand as Red Bird’s flight from Ranchi crashed in Chatra’s wilderness, claiming seven souls. The late Monday plunge has ignited scrutiny over medical airlifts in India’s rugged interiors.
Central to the tragedy was Sanjay Kumar, 41, battling fire-induced burns from Devkamal Hospital toward Delhi care. Crew comprised pilots Vivek Vikas Bhagat, Subrajdeep Singh; family Archana Devi, Dhruv Kumar; doctor Vikas Kumar Gupta; nurse Sachin Kumar Mishra.
Uplift at 7:11 PM preceded a Kolkata ATC weather reroute request. By 7:34 PM, 100 nautical miles southeast, all traces vanished, spurring high-stakes hunts in Simaria’s Karamatand jungles, alerted by locals’ boom-and-smoke sightings.
Coordinated assaults by administration, law enforcement, and emergency responders located debris in Kasariya. No lives spared, per on-site verifications. DGCA mobilizes AAIB, with centralized data protocols tracking every facet.
Crash origins remain elusive—turbulence, tech glitch? Chatra SP’s nod amplifies official weight. As probes unfold, this serves as a stark reminder of air evac’s perils, fueling advocacy for fortified fleets, superior forecasting, and rapid-response frameworks to safeguard tomorrow’s flights.