- Debris has been found of a medical jet carrying six people that went missing near Nantucket, Massachusetts, while flying from Bermuda to Boston early Saturday, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
- The debris field that was confirmed to belong to the missing aircraft was found Saturday night, the Coast Guard said in a statement.
- The search for the missing passengers was still ongoing and would continue overnight.
- The plane was carrying four Canadian and two Bermudian nationals, the Coast Guard disclosed.
- The Federal Aviation Administration had lost contact with the plane around 1 a.m. local time Saturday and issued a Search and Rescue Alert Notice for the Gulfstream G-100.
- The jet was registered to Canada-based Latitude Air Ambulance, according to the tail number provided by the Coast Guard.
- The Coast Guard outlined the extensive assets involved in the search, including an HC-144 Ocean Sentry airplane, HC-130 Hercules airplane, MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter, a 47-foot Motor Lifeboat and the FRC William Sparling, a Sentinel-class fast response cutter.
- Search crews covered a 1,644-square-mile area over the course of 27 hours, the Coast Guard said.
- The plane left L. F. Wade International Airport in Bermuda for the 800-mile flight to Boston at 11:41 p.m. on Friday, said Ciara Eve, an airport spokesperson.
- The airplane, a Gulfstream G100, took off from Bermuda late Friday and was carrying a patient and family member as well as a four-person crew.
- The plane went missing after about 1 hour and 45 minutes in the air.
- Air traffic controllers in New York had struggled to communicate with the jet as it plunged toward the Atlantic Ocean.
- At 1:20 a.m., the Federal Aviation Administration issued an alert, an agency spokesperson said.
- At 2 a.m., the FAA alerted the US Coast Guard of the missing plane.
The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed the discovery of a debris field from a medical transport jet that vanished south of Nantucket early Saturday morning. The Gulfstream G-100 was carrying six individuals, including four crew members and two passengers, when it lost contact around 1 a.m. local time.127
The aircraft, registered to Canada-based Latitude Air Ambulance, departed from L.F. Wade International Airport in Bermuda for an 800-mile flight to Boston. As the jet approached Nantucket, the pilot reported electrical failures and descended rapidly, dropping 13,000 feet in just three minutes, according to FlightAware data.
Air traffic controllers struggled to communicate with the jet as it plunged toward the Atlantic Ocean. “You’re coming in blind? Is that what you said?” a controller asked the pilot shortly before contact was lost. The Coast Guard has stated that the search for the missing passengers is ongoing, with efforts continuing overnight.3
“My thoughts are with everyone on board, as well as their families, loved ones and colleagues during this incredibly difficult time,” said Steve MacKinnon, Canada’s minister of transport. Premier David Burt of Bermuda expressed hope for the safe recovery of the passengers, thanking search and rescue crews for their efforts.
The six individuals on board included four Canadian nationals and two Bermudians, as confirmed by the Coast Guard and Latitude Air Ambulance.
“The Gulfstream G100, operated by Canada-based Latitude Air Ambulance, was carrying four crew and two passengers, including a patient and family member. The plane lost contact after a rapid descent from about 24,000 to 11,000 feet, and search crews have covered a 1,644-square-mile area over 27 hours.”
CBS News
The Boston Globe
