NEW DELHI: In a tragic aviation incident, two commercial aircraft operated by Air India and IndiGo managed to take off safely from Ranchi airport on Monday night, just minutes before an air ambulance crashed under severe weather conditions. The ill-fated Beechcraft C90 aircraft, registered as VT-AJV and operated by Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd, was on a medical evacuation flight from Ranchi to Delhi when it went down shortly after departure.
Timeline of the Fatal Incident
The sequence of events reveals how quickly conditions deteriorated. The Air India and IndiGo flights had departed Ranchi around the same time as the air ambulance, with the IndiGo aircraft taking off approximately eight minutes before the crash occurred. Both larger airliners successfully navigated away from the airport area despite the challenging weather.
Weather Conditions and Pilot Communications
Ranchi was experiencing particularly bad weather at the time, with cumulonimbus clouds—known for producing thunderstorms—forming at just 3,000 feet. After climbing to 6,000 feet, the pilots of the air ambulance contacted Kolkata Air Traffic Control (ATC) to request a weather deviation, indicating they were attempting to navigate around the storm cells.
Sources familiar with the incident revealed that the IndiGo aircraft, which was about 37 kilometers away from Ranchi airport just a couple of minutes after takeoff, had also requested a right turn to avoid the deteriorating weather conditions. This highlights that multiple flight crews were actively managing the same hazardous atmospheric situation.
The Tragic Outcome
Unfortunately, the smaller Beechcraft C90 air ambulance crashed just eight minutes after the commercial airliners had safely departed the area. The contrast in outcomes between the larger, presumably better-equipped commercial aircraft and the smaller air ambulance has raised questions about equipment capabilities and operational procedures in adverse weather.
The incident underscores the challenges of aviation operations during monsoon season in India, when sudden thunderstorms can create dangerous flying conditions. Aviation authorities have launched a full investigation into the crash to determine the exact sequence of events and contributing factors.
