No Black Box On Jharkhand Air Ambulance May Hinder Crash Probe
- The absence of a cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder on the crashed air ambulance in Jharkhand is expected to complicate efforts to determine what led to the deaths of seven people on board.
- The investigation into the fatal air ambulance crash in Jharkhand has become more challenging after it was confirmed that the aircraft did not carry a black box — comprising a Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and Flight Data Recorder (FDR).
The aircraft, a Beechcraft C90 (VT-AJV) operated by Redbird, was a twin-turboprop plane manufactured in 1987 with a maximum take-off weight of 4,583 kg. Its Certificate of Airworthiness was issued the same year, before regulatory deadlines mandating the installation of CVRs and FDRs for certain categories of aircraft.
Under aviation regulations, CVRs are compulsory for aeroplanes with a maximum certificated take-off mass exceeding 5,700 kg if certified on or after January 1, 1987. Similarly, multi-engined turbine-powered aircraft of 5,700 kg or less certified on or after January 1, 1990, must be fitted with an FDR recording specified parameters. The crashed aircraft did not fall within these mandatory requirements.
The flight departed Ranchi at approximately 7:11 pm en route to Delhi. Around 23 minutes after take-off, the crew reportedly requested a weather deviation before losing communication and radar contact. The wreckage was later discovered in a forested area near Simaria in Chatra district.
With no black box data available, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau will rely heavily on air traffic control recordings, radar data, technical logs, and evidence recovered from the crash site to reconstruct the sequence of events.
All seven occupants of the aircraft died in the crash. The investigation is ongoing to determine the exact cause of the accident.
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