No Black Box in Jharkhand Air Ambulance Crash; AAIB Investigates Wreckage Intensively

Jharkhand, India – A Beechcraft C90 air ambulance that crashed in Jharkhand’s Chatra district did not carry a cockpit voice recorder (CVR) or flight data recorder (FDR), commonly referred to as a black box, aviation officials confirmed, complicating the ongoing inquiry into what caused the fatal accident.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) — the government body responsible for analyzing civil aviation accidents — dispatched teams to the remote forested crash site following the tragedy, where they collected critical evidence from the wreckage and launched detailed examinations of all available materials to reconstruct the sequence of events leading up to the crash.

Why the Aircraft Had No Black Box

According to civil aviation rules in India, small aircraft with a maximum takeoff weight below 5,700 kg are not required to be fitted with CVRs or FDRs. The Beechcraft C90 involved in the accident met this criterion, meaning it was legally exempted from carrying a black box.

Officials from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and AAIB have confirmed that while the absence of recorded flight data will make pinpointing the exact cause more challenging, investigators will rely on other sources such as radar data, communications with air traffic control, meteorological details, wreckage analysis and eyewitness accounts.

The Crash and Immediate Aftermath

The air ambulance, operated by Redbird Airways Pvt. Ltd. and registered as VT-AJV, was on a medical evacuation mission from Birsa Munda Airport in Ranchi to New Delhi when it crashed on the evening of 23 February 2026 in dense forest near Simaria in Chatra district. All seven occupants onboard — including the pilot, co-pilot, a doctor, a paramedic, a critically ill patient and two attendants — perished in the accident.

Reports indicated that the aircraft lost radio and radar contact with air traffic control shortly after requesting a change in flight path due to unstable weather conditions. The plane was later found in a remote area, and rescue teams recovered the bodies that same night.

Investigation Focus and Challenges

With no black box data available, the AAIB’s task will involve piecing together various fragments of evidence. Sources said the investigation will heavily depend on:

• Radar and air traffic control communication logs, including any instructions or deviations requested before the crash.

• Wreckage analysis, to assess structural integrity, engine performance and control systems.

• Weather data at the time of the accident, as lightning, turbulence or thunderstorms could have played a role.

• Maintenance and flight records of the aircraft and qualifications or experience of the flight crew.

Officials have also indicated that the absence of CVR/FDR recordings removes a key tool normally used to understand the final moments of a flight, potentially extending the duration of the investigation.

Broader Aviation Safety Context

The crash has reignited broader discussions on aviation safety standards for non-scheduled and specialised flights such as air ambulances, which often operate in time-critical and challenging conditions. In response to this and other recent incidents, the DGCA has been reviewing enhanced safety measures, including stricter audits for smaller operators and potential revisions to equipment mandates.