Air ambulance with seven on board crashes in Jharkhand, rescue operations underway

An air ambulance carrying seven people, including two crew members, crashed near Simariya in Chatra district shortly after taking off from Ranchi Airport, according to a News18 report, citing the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday.

The aircraft, VT-AJV, operated by Redbird Airways on a medical evacuation flight between Ranchi and Delhi, lost contact with air traffic control 23 minutes after departure.

“The aircraft departed Ranchi at 19:11 and lost contact at 19:34 near Atali. Communication was initially established with the next control station, but subsequent contact was not re-established,” News18 report quoted the DGCA as saying.

Onboard were patient Sanjay Kumar, flight crew Captain Vivek Vikas Bhagat and Savrajdeep Singh, and four family members — Archana Devi, Dhuru Kumar, Vikas Gupta, and Sachin Mishra.

A search and rescue team has been dispatched to the crash site, and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is en route for an investigation.

Officials noted that the aircraft regularly operated medical evacuation flights from Ranchi and was one of two air ambulances based there, alongside VT-RAM.

“The Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC) was activated following the loss of communication, and state authorities were informed. Search and rescue operations are ongoing, and all standard procedures are being followed,” a DGCA spokesperson said.

Jharkhand Minister Irfan Ansari said the state government is closely monitoring the situation.

Jharkhand Minister Dr. Irfan Ansari tweets – “…Upon receiving news of the incident, security agencies and local administration are on high alert. Search and rescue operations have been intensified in the probable area. No official confirmation of any kind has been made yet…I… pic.twitter.com/ZJgrbyBoQy

— ANI (@ANI) February 23, 2026

In a series of tweets, Ansari wrote: “Upon receiving news of the incident, security agencies and local administration are on high alert. Search and rescue operations have been intensified in the probable area. No official confirmation of any kind has been made yet.”

He added that he had instructed officials to take all necessary measures.

“I have directed the concerned officials to take immediate necessary action and deploy every possible resource. Our priority is the safe recovery of all passengers. The state government is closely monitoring the situation with utmost seriousness,” he added.<

Authorities have mobilised search and rescue teams to the site, and further updates on the condition of the air ambulance occupants are awaited.

With inputs from agencies