Ranchi, February 24, 2026 — The father of Dr. Vikas Kumar Gupta, one of the seven victims of a tragic plane crash in Jharkhand’s Chatra district, emotionally broke down in front of cameras while mourning his son’s death. The incident occurred shortly after the Beechcraft C90 air ambulance took off from Birsa Munda Airport in Ranchi bound for Delhi.
According to the Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the aircraft lost communication and contact with radar shortly after departure, approximately 100 nautical miles southeast of Varanasi, before crashing into a forested area in Simaria, Jharkhand. All seven onboard, including Dr. Gupta, the doctor accompanying a patient named Sanjay Kumar, were killed in the accident.
In a tearful interview, Dr. Gupta’s father revealed the sacrifices he made for his son’s education. “My son was a doctor. He told me he was going to Delhi with patients, but I later learned about the crash and that my son is no more. I sold my farmland to educate him,” he shared with PTI.
The CEO of Ranchi’s Devkamal Hospital and Research Centre, Dr. Anant Sinha, also expressed grief over the loss. “We received the heartbreaking news that Dr. Gupta had died. He was close to us, and his death is a huge loss,” Sinha told ANI.
Hospital officials said that Sanjay Kumar, the patient onboard, suffered 60% burns and was in ICU at the time of the crash. Relatives had arranged for the air ambulance with the hope of transferring him abroad for better treatment.
Other victims identified in the crash include Captain Vivek Vikas Bhagat, Captain Savrajdeep Singh, Sachin Kumar Mishra, Archana Devi, and Dhuru Kumar. The cause of the crash remains unconfirmed, though authorities suggest that bad weather and thunderstorms may have played a role.
Operated by Delhi-based Redbird Airways, the aircraft’s tail number was VT-AJV. The plane lost contact with Kolkata radar during its flight before crashing in the dense forest in Jharkhand.
