7 killed in Jharkhand air ambulance crash; AAIB, DGCA probe site

AAIB and DGCA teams are investigating the crash of a Redbird Airways air ambulance in Jharkhand's Chatra that killed seven. The flight from Ranchi to Delhi crashed on Monday. Eyewitnesses reported the plane appeared unstable before crashing.

Investigation Begins into Fatal Jharkhand Air Crash

Teams from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) have conducted on-site investigations into the tragic air ambulance crash that claimed seven lives in Jharkhand's Chatra district on Monday evening. The teams on Wednesday collected crucial evidence from the wreckage of the Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd Beechcraft C90 aircraft, registered VT-AJV, which was operating a medical evacuation flight from Ranchi to Delhi when it went down in Kasariya Panchayat under Simaria block on Monday at around 7:30 pm.

Drone inspection of the area was also conducted, and the wreckage of the plane was transported out of the jungle as investigations continue. The DGCA team also arrived at the site on Tuesday to examine the wreckage, while the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) collected crucial documents and evidence, reaffirming that the investigation will continue.

Locals Reported Aircraft Instability Before Crash

On Tuesday, Sub-Divisional Police Officer Shubham Khandelwal stated that locals had reported seeing the aircraft lose balance moments before it crashed. He said the bodies had been handed over to family members and postmortems had been conducted.

Eyewitness Pawan Yadav told officials that the aircraft had appeared unstable before a loud explosion was heard amid light rain and poor weather conditions.

Probe to Analyse Flight Data and Technical Records

The aircraft had taken off from Ranchi at 19:11 IST and had lost radar and communication contact near 100 nautical miles south-east of Varanasi before crashing. The AAIB and DGCA teams are expected to carry out a detailed analysis to determine the cause of the crash, examining technical records and assessing the condition of the aircraft at the time of the incident.

(ANI)

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