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Jharkhand Air Ambulance Crash: No Black Box, AAIB Investigates Site

An air ambulance crash in Jharkhand's Chatra district has claimed seven lives, prompting an investigation by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau. The Beechcraft C90 aircraft, operated by Redbird Airways, was not equipped with a cockpit voice recorder or flight data recorder as its weight was below the 5,700 kg mandate. Officials state the AAIB team has collected key evidence from the wreckage, with locals reporting the aircraft lost balance moments before crashing. The medical evacuation flight from Ranchi to Delhi lost radar contact southeast of Varanasi.

Key Points: Air Ambulance Crash Probe: No Black Box Due to Weight Rules

  • Aircraft below 5,700 kg not required to have black box
  • AAIB team collected evidence from crash site
  • Aircraft was on medical evacuation flight
  • Lost contact near Varanasi
  • All seven victims recovered and postmortems done
2 min read

No black box in air ambulance crash in Jharkhand, AAIB team investigates the site

Investigation into Jharkhand air ambulance crash reveals no black box as aircraft weight was below mandate. AAIB team collects evidence from wreckage site.

"Locals say that they saw the aircraft losing balance. It crashed 2-3 seconds later. - Shubham Khandelwal, SDPO"

New Delhi, February 25

The Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd Beechcraft C90 that crashed in Jharkhand on Tuesday, claiming 7 lives, had no black boxes as the aircraft's maximum takeoff weight is below 5,700 kg, sources said.

According to civil aviation rules, cockpit voice recorders (CVR) or flight data recorders (FDR) are not mandated for aircraft with a maximum takeoff weight below 5,700 kg.

A team from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) investigated the crash site on Wednesday and collected evidence from the wreckage to carry out further investigation.

The Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd Beechcraft C90 aircraft, registered VT-AJV, was operating a medical evacuation flight from Ranchi to Delhi when it crashed on Monday evening in Kasariya Panchayat, Simaria block. DGCA officials are collecting evidence from the wreckage to carry out further investigation.

A team of Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Tuesday reached the location of the tragic air ambulance crash in Jharkhand's Chatra district.

Speaking to ANI, Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Shubham Khandelwal said that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has collected key evidence and will continue investigations tomorrow. He further said that locals reported the aircraft losing balance before it crashed, and recovery and postmortems of all bodies have been completed.

"AAIB (Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau)'s team had come here. They collected all the documents and evidence they deemed important. They will collect evidence tomorrow as well. They will then inform us of their investigation. The local villagers have also given their statements regarding the manner in which the crash occurred. Locals say that they saw the aircraft losing balance. It crashed 2-3 seconds later. Deployment will continue here. Yes, bodies have handed over, and a postmortem has been done," Khandelwal said to the reporters.

The aircraft had taken off from Ranchi at 19:11 IST and lost communication and radar contact with Kolkata at approximately 100 NM South-East of Varanasi.

As per an official statement from the Council of Indian Aviation, the aircraft had taken off from Ranchi at 19:11 IST and lost radar and communication contact near 100 NM south-east of Varanasi.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
My heart goes out to the families. As an expat working in aviation safety, I find this regulatory gap concerning. Many countries mandate data recording for all commercial operations, regardless of weight. India's DGCA should consider this, especially for flights over populated areas.
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Ananya R
Very sad news. But we must also appreciate the quick response of the AAIB and local police. Collecting evidence from the wreckage and villagers' statements is crucial when there's no black box. Hope the investigation finds the root cause and leads to better safety protocols.
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Vikram M
The rule makes some sense for cost reasons on very small planes, but an air ambulance is different. It's carrying patients and medical crews. There should be a special category or subsidy to fit these essential services with basic data recorders. Jai Hind.
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Karthik V
Respectfully, while the crash is tragic, the article focuses a lot on the lack of a black box. The real issue is why the aircraft lost balance. Was it maintenance, weather, or pilot error? The investigation should prioritize that, not just the recording device. Thoughts with the families.
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Priya S
Om Shanti. This is so heartbreaking. These air ambulances do God's work, transporting patients from smaller cities to big hospitals. We need to make them as safe as possible. The government should step in and make black boxes mandatory for all commercial aircraft, full stop.

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