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Plane unused for 4 years, no black box, adverse weather on same route before: Latest updates on Jharkhand crash
On Monday night, an air ambulance carrying seven people, crashed in Jharkhand's Chatra district, killing all on board.
As the probe into the Jharkhand plane crash continues, officials have told HT that the ill-fated air ambulance did not have a black box. On Monday night, an air ambulance carrying seven people, crashed in Jharkhand's Chatra district, killing all on board.
People familiar with the matter told HT that the plane had no black box, which may become a problem for authorities as they try to piece together the cause of the crash.
According to officials, inclement weather and a thunderstorm are likely to have caused the crash. While the exact reason will only be ascertained after the DGCA and AAIB probes are completed, Air India and IndiGo flights have also reported adverse weather on the same routes.
Here's a rundown of the latest updates in the Jharkhand plane crash -
- No black box found - Officials have told HT that a black box of the Ranchi-Delhi air ambulance was not found. While civil aviation rules do not mandate cockpit voice recorders (CVR) or flight data recorders (FDR) for aircraft weighing below 5,700kg, the investigation into what caused the crash is expected to be impacted. Officials will now be relying on data recorded by air traffic control, analysis of the wreckage, and eyewitness accounts of the crash.
- Air India, IndiGo reported adverse weather on the same route - Air India and IndiGo have also encountered adverse weather along the same route earlier and sought deviations to avoid it. After the crash, it was learnt that the air ambulance asked for a deviation due to bad weather. A similar incident was recorded with an IndiGo flight, which requested a left deviation on the same route. However, people close to the matter have told HT that the crashed aircraft had sought a deviation to the right.
- Plane was 'unused' for four years - Officials have told HT that the Beechcraft C90 King Air aircraft had not been operated between 2018 and 2022. The aircraft was operated by Delhi-based Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd.
- Family of deceased patient seeks compensation - The relatives of patient Sanjay Kumar, who lost his life in the plane crash, have called for compensation and justice. As per an ANI report, Sanjay Kumar's relatives said that his condition continued to worsen during the treatment, and the doctor advised taking him by air.
- Kin bore ₹8 lakh expense: Sujit Kumar, relative of the deceased, has demanded justice and compensation for the children and family of the deceased, adding that Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd only cared about money. Speaking to reporters, Vijay Kumar, another relative of the patient said the air ambulance cost them around ₹8 lakh.
The aircraft was on a medical evacuation flight from Ranchi to Delhi on Monday when it crashed in Kasaria area of Chatra district. Those on board were the patient, 41-year-old Sanjay Kumar, a doctor, a paramedic, two attendants, and two pilots. The crash killed all seven.
