'Saved lives by flying air ambulance, now he is gone': Father of pilot who died in Jharkhand plane crash mourns loss

DS Bhagat, the father of the deceased pilots, mourned the loss of his son, stating that he wanted to save lives by piloting air ambulances.

Updated on: Feb 24, 2026, 13:50:14 IST

By HT News Desk

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Seven people were killed on Monday night after a Ranchi to Delhi air ambulance crashed in Jharkhand's Chatra district. As per DGCA, all seven on board, including pilot Captain Vivek Vikas Bhagat, were killed in the ill-fated crash.

Security personnel carry out search operations at the forested crash site near Kasariya Panchayat in Simaria block, where a Redbird Airways air ambulance from Ranchi to Delhi crashed, killing all seven onboard. (ANI)

Speaking to reporters, DS Bhagat, the father of the deceased pilots, mourned the loss of his son, stating that he wanted to save lives by piloting air ambulances.

"My son saved many lives by piloting an air ambulance, but today he has lost his life," he told ANI. The father further added that Vikas was supposed to meet with a relative upon landing in Delhi for dinner.

Also Read | Father of doctor who died in Jharkhand plane crash breaks down on camera: 'Sold farm to educate him'

"His chachi kept dinner ready for him. He told her that he will eat at home and is expected to land in Delhi at 9pm. However, she kept waiting till 11pm for Vikas to come, and then we found out about the crash,' he added further.

The seven people on board have been identified as Captain Vivek Vikas Bhagat, Captain Savrajdeep Singh, Sanjay Kumar, Dr Vikas Kumar Gupta, Sachin Kumar Mishra, Archana Devi and Dhuru Kumar.

Also Read | What led to Ranchi-Delhi air ambulance crash? Officials reveal possible cause

The Beechcraft C90 aircraft VT-AJV, operated by Delhi-based Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd, took off from Ranchi at 7:11pm as it worked to transport a patient to New Delhi. After take off, the plane made contact with Kolkata.

However, around 7:34pm, the aircraft lost communications and RADAR contact.

"We got information around 10pm that an accident has happened... Getting here was difficult considering the terrain... The Delhi team will come here for investigation and try to recover the black box... Total number of deaths is seven," SP Sumit Kumar told news agency ANI.

DGCA has also condoled the incident and launched a probe into the crash. A team from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has also been to the site of the accident to recover the black box and find the exact cause behind the crash.

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