A family in financial distress recently found themselves burdened with loans after needing to hire an air ambulance for a sum of Rs 8 lakh. The situation took a heartbreaking turn when the chartered Beechcraft C90 aircraft, which had departed from Ranchi, crashed in a forest area in Chatra, Jharkhand, resulting in the loss of all seven lives onboard.

The flight was aimed at transporting Sanjay Kumar, a hotel owner suffering from burns due to an LPG cylinder explosion on February 16, to Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi for medical treatment. Among the deceased were Sanjay’s wife, Archana Devi, and their teenage nephew, Dhruv Kumar. This tragedy unfolded just 30 minutes after takeoff.

Family Background and Tragedy

The Kumar family had exhausted their resources, borrowing money from relatives and taking loans to cover the costs associated with Sanjay’s treatment following the accident at his roadside hotel. This was not the first tragedy they faced; in 2004, Sanjay’s father was killed by Maoists.

The psychological toll on the family is evident, especially on Sanjay and Archana’s teenage sons, Shivam and Shubham, who have been silent since the crash. Their great-grandfather, Baleshwar Sahu, is deeply affected and becomes emotional when discussing the recent events.

Last-Minute Decisions Lead to Fatal Consequences

The family had made an advance payment of Rs 6 lakh for the air ambulance service and borrowed another Rs 2 lakh from a source in Latehar. The disturbing irony of this financial obligation is that they believed they were securing a chance at life, not a journey toward tragedy, as expressed by a relative.

Joining the flight was 34-year-old Dr. Vikas Kumar Gupta, an anaesthetist stationed at Ranchi Sadar Hospital. Although he was not initially scheduled for this flight, he accepted a request that came shortly before departure. His family highlighted that he prioritized patient care above all else. In a conversation just before takeoff, his father, Bajrangi Prasad Gupta, heard him express distress, stating, “I am finished.”

The crash also involved two pilots. Vivek Vikas Bhagat, the captain and son of Dev Sahay Bhagat, an executive engineer in Chatra, was eager to attend a friend’s wedding after his upcoming leave starting on February 27. He had accumulated approximately 1,700 hours of flying experience. The co-pilot, Savrajdeep Singh, hailing from Amritsar, had over 300 hours in the skies. The news of the crash reached Dev while he was in his native village, Luti, leaving the family in shock.

Investigation Launched into the Crash

A five-member team from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and three officials from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) arrived in Jharkhand on Tuesday to initiate an investigation into the incident. The crash site has been secured by the district administration in anticipation of this inquiry.

Concurrently, the state government has ordered its own investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash. Air Traffic Control (ATC) officials in Kolkata reported that no distress signal was emitted by the pilots prior to the aircraft disappearing from radar at 7:34 PM Monday. Just moments before the crash, the captain had requested a deviation due to poor weather conditions.

Long or Short, get news the way you like. No ads. No redirections. Download Newspin and Stay Alert, The CSR Journal Mobile app, for fast, crisp, clean updates!

App Store –  https://apps.apple.com/in/app/newspin/id6746449540 

Google Play Store – https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.inventifweb.newspin&pcampaignid=web_share