Chatra

A team from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Tuesday inspected the site of the air ambulance crash in Jharkhand’s Chatra district that killed all seven people on board, including two crew members.

The aircraft — a Beechcraft C90 operated by Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd and registered as VT-AJV — was on a medical evacuation flight from Ranchi to Delhi when it went down on Monday evening in Kasariya Panchayat under Simaria block.

Officials from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation began collecting material evidence from the wreckage to aid the investigation. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has also taken custody of key documents and technical records as part of its inquiry.

Sub-Divisional Police Officer Shubham Khandelwal said the AAIB team gathered crucial evidence on Tuesday and would continue its examination of the site. He added that statements from local residents have been recorded, with some eyewitnesses claiming the aircraft appeared to lose balance moments before impact.

According to Khandelwal, the crash occurred within seconds after the aircraft was seen struggling in the air. All bodies have been recovered, postmortem examinations completed, and remains handed over to the families. Security deployment at the site remains in place.

Eyewitness Pawan Yadav told officials that villagers heard the aircraft overhead before it appeared unstable. He said there was light rainfall and inclement weather at the time, followed by a loud explosion shortly after the plane descended.

Simaria BJP MLA Kumar Ujjwal Das described the incident as deeply unfortunate. He said he was informed around 8:15 pm and remained in contact with district authorities through the night despite heavy rain and thunderstorms in the region.

According to preliminary information, the aircraft took off from Ranchi at 7:11 pm and later lost communication and radar contact with Kolkata air traffic control at a point approximately 100 nautical miles south-east of Varanasi. The crash occurred around 7:30 pm.

An official statement from the Council of Indian Aviation confirmed that radar and communication contact was lost shortly after departure, triggering subsequent search and recovery operations.

READ MORE: Bengaluru cleric asks Muslims to help NIA in tracing a Lashkar terrorist

Authorities said a detailed technical investigation will determine the cause of the crash, including weather conditions, mechanical performance and operational factors.