By SCM CORRESPONDENT
A mercy flight turned into a horrific fireball in India yesterday, leaving seven people dead after an air ambulance crashed shortly after takeoff.
The Beechcraft C90 King Air was transporting a critically ill patient to a specialist hospital when it vanished from radar screens in the eastern state of Jharkhand. Rescue teams who scrambled to the site confirmed there were no survivors among the twisted wreckage.
The victims of the disaster include: Two flight crew members who were navigating the twin-propeller craft.
A patient being rushed for emergency medical treatment.
Four relatives who were accompanying their loved one on the flight.
The aircraft lost contact with Air Traffic Control almost immediately after departing. Witnesses on the ground reported seeing the plane lose altitude rapidly before disappearing into the dense terrain of Jharkhand.
Aviation authorities have launched an immediate investigation into the cause of the crash, looking into whether engine failure or the region’s unpredictable weather played a role in the catastrophe.
The Beechcraft C90 is a popular “workhorse” for medical evacuations globally, but its age and maintenance records in regional Indian aviation have been under scrutiny in the past.
Jharkhand is known for its rugged, forested terrain, which often makes search and rescue operations difficult and dangerous.
This incident adds to a series of light aircraft accidents in India over the last decade, raising questions about the safety protocols of private air charter companies operating emergency services.
