An Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) team collects evidence from the wreckage for further investigations at the scene of the 23 February 2026 air ambulance crash, which killed all seven people on board, in Chatra on 25 February 2026. | Photo credit: ANI
Redbird Airways Pvt. Ltd. The Beechcraft C90 (VT-AJV) that crashed in Jharkhand on Tuesday (February 24, 2026), claiming 7 lives, had no black boxes as the aircraft’s maximum take-off weight is less than 5,700 kg, sources said.
Under civil aviation rules, cockpit voice recorders (CVRs) or flight data recorders (FDRs) are not mandatory for aircraft with a maximum take-off weight of less than 5,700 kg.
A team from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) examined the crash site on Wednesday (February 25) and collected evidence from the wreckage to carry out further investigations.
Redbird Airways Pvt. Ltd. The Beechcraft C90 aircraft, registered VT-AJV, was operating a medical evacuation flight from Ranchi to Delhi when it crashed in Kasariya Panchayat, Simaria block on Monday evening (February 23). Officials of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) are collecting evidence from the wreckage to conduct further investigations.
A DGCA team on Tuesday (February 24) reached the site of the tragic air ambulance crash in Jharkhand’s Chatra district.
Speaking to ANI, Sub Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Shubham Khandelwal said that the Air Accidents Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has collected key evidence and will continue its investigation tomorrow. He further said that local residents reported that the plane had lost its balance before it crashed and the recovery and autopsy of all the bodies had been completed.
“The AAIB (Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau) team has arrived here. They have collected all the documents and evidence they consider important. They will also collect evidence tomorrow. After that they will inform us of their investigation. Local villagers have also given their statements regarding the manner in which the crash occurred. Locals say they saw the plane lose balance. It crashed 2-3 seconds later. Yes, the deployment has been completed and will continue here. Yes, the deployment has been completed, Mr. Khandelwal told reporters.
The aircraft took off from Ranchi at 19:11 IST and lost communications and radar contact with Kolkata approximately 100 NM south-east of Varanasi.
According to an official statement from the Aviation Council of India, the aircraft took off from Ranchi at 19:11 IST and lost radar and communication link near 100 NM south-east of Varanasi.
Published – 25 Feb 2026 15:29 IST
