RANCHI: The aircraft — a Beechcraft King Air BE9L operated by Redbird Airways Pvt. Ltd. — that crashed in Jharkhand’s Chatra district on Monday, killing all seven people on board, was 39 years old. It had been issued a fitness certificate on January 21 this year, valid for one year.
According to aviation sources, the aircraft had logged approximately 6,600 flying hours. In a concerning revelation, it was not equipped with a Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) or Flight Data Recorder (FDR), as these are not mandatory for aircraft with a maximum take-off weight below 5,700 kg.
A team from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) visited the crash site on Wednesday and collected crucial documents and physical evidence from the wreckage. Officials said the investigation would continue, with further examination of technical records and operational details. Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Shubham Khandelwal said the AAIB team gathered key materials from the site and would resume evidence collection on Thursday.
The aircraft had reportedly remained unused between 2018 and 2022 before being acquired by Redbird Airways. While the reasons for this period of inactivity could not be confirmed, investigators are expected to cross-check details regarding its maintenance and the airworthiness clearances issued prior to its return to service. The aircraft had also not been repainted for the past 21 years.
Interestingly, the aircraft had previously been used for training purposes by the state government at the Flying Training Institute in Dumka. The state government is reportedly paying the aviation company Rs 50 lakh per month as rent to use the aircraft for providing air-ambulance services at a subsidized rate. However, the same aircraft was privately booked by the company for Rs 8 lakh from the patient’s family members. This suggests that a flight that could have been availed for Rs 3.5 lakh through the government was instead charged at Rs 8 lakh, with the amount going directly to the company.
It also raises concerns that people who were expected to receive the best service from a high-tech aircraft were allegedly provided substandard service despite being charged the full amount.
Vijay Kumar, brother of the deceased patient Sanjay Kumar, said that even a layperson could tell the aircraft was old. “They cared only about money and did not consider the weather before taking off, costing my brother and others their lives,” he said. He further alleged that had the flight not been delayed for hours over Rs 2.5 lakh, his brother’s life might have been saved.
When Health Minister Irfan Ansari was asked why Sanjay Kumar was not provided an air ambulance at the subsidized rate, he declined to comment, saying it was not mandatory for him to answer all questions.
BJP legislator Naveen Jaiswal alleged that the air-ambulance service itself is a scam in Jharkhand and claimed that a proper investigation would uncover the alleged misappropriation of crores of rupees. “I demand an inquiry into the air-ambulance scam so that a clear picture can be presented before the people of this state,” Jaiswal said.
The aircraft was operating a medical evacuation flight from Ranchi to Delhi when it went down in Kasariya Panchayat under Simaria block on Monday evening. It had taken off from Ranchi at 7:11 pm IST and reportedly lost radar and communication contact with Kolkata Air Traffic Control around 100 nautical miles southeast of Varanasi before crashing.