An air ambulance carrying seven passengers crash-landed in an open field in Delhi, India on 24th May. The passengers included three crew members, a patient suffering from a neurological stroke, and three patients’ attendants. All were rushed to a nearby hospital by first responders with the help of local residents. The air ambulance transport was on its way to Delhi from Patna when it encountered a technical problem that resulted in the need to crash-land.
Details of the Crash
The Beech King Air C-90A was flying over the village of Najafgarh Kair, which is around 10 km from the airport when it experienced an engine failure. Surender Kumar, Deputy Commissioner of Police in South-West Delhi reported that all passengers were safe. According to witness reports, the plane was descending rapidly and crash-landed in a nearby field. The tires had broken off and the plane skidded for at least 200 meters before it finally stopped.
The air ambulance transport was on its way to transport 42-year-old Virender Rai, a patient suffering from a neurological stroke, to Gurgaon’s Medanta Medicity. The rest of the passengers included Rai’s son and daughter, an in-flight doctor, a pilot, a co-pilot, and a technician. They were all rushed to the nearby Rao Tula Ram Memorial Hospital. A spokesperson for Medanta Medicity also reported that the patient has now been brought in to the hospital and is being looked after by neurologists and experts in critical care in the intensive care wing.
Investigations Underway for Air Ambulance Transport Crash
The final investigation into the crash would be conducted under the Ministry of Civil Aviation by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). According to Mahesh Sharma, the Minister of State for Civil Aviation, officials from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation have visited the crash site to conduct a probe. Run by Alchemist Airways in Chennai, the air ambulance craft had been purchased in 1989.
