Air Ambulance crash near Jharkhand’s Chatra kills 7 after ATC contact lost

An air ambulance flying from Ranchi to Delhi with seven people onboard crashed near Simaria in Jharkhand’s Chatra district on Tuesday evening, triggering emergency rescue and investigation efforts.

Ranchi Airport Director Vinod Kumar said the aircraft took off at around 7:10 pm before it lost contact with Air Traffic Control (ATC) shortly after departure. The crash was later confirmed through information received from the state administration.

Officials said the exact cause of the crash is still under investigation . Preliminary inputs point to a possible technical malfunction after takeoff. Weather conditions in the area at the time included reduced visibility and intermittent rainfall , which may have affected flight operations, though authorities cautioned against drawing conclusions until the inquiry is complete.

Rescue teams from local police, fire services and disaster response units rushed to the crash site. Officials said all seven occupants were found dead at the scene, including crew members, medical staff and a patient. Further formal identification and documentation are in progress.

The aircraft was operating as a medical evacuation (air ambulance) flight, commonly used for emergency patient transfers between cities. It was a small chartered aircraft equipped for critical care transport.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) said it is closely monitoring the situation and has ordered a detailed investigation by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The probe will examine flight data, maintenance records and ATC communication.

Search operations are underway to recover the aircraft’s flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder (black box) , which officials say will be crucial in reconstructing the final moments of the flight.

Authorities said further updates will be issued as the investigation progresses and medical assessments are completed.