The United States Coast Guard located a debris field off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts, confirmed to be from the missing medical transport aircraft, as crews continue searching for the six people that were on board.
At 2:00 a.m. local time Saturday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) notified the Coast Guard that they lost contact with the Gulfstream G100 aircraft tail number C-GRJP while it was traveling from Bermuda to Boston.
The Coast Guard released a statement late Saturday providing the latest information on the missing medical aircraft described as an “air ambulance.” According to the statement, crews are continuing to search for the six people aboard the aircraft, while the Coast Guard cutter William Sparling will continue search efforts.
At 12:41 a.m. on Saturday, the Gulfstream G100 aircraft took off from Bermuda’s only airport, on St. David’s Island, according to data from FlightAware.
According to flight data, the aircraft was cruising at 24,000 feet before rapidly dropping several thousand feet at around 1:05 a.m. The FAA lost contact shortly after and issued an alert at 1:20 a.m. A multi-agency search ensued involving the U.S. Coast Guard, Massachusetts authorities, and the New York Air National Guard.
The aircraft was operated by Latitude Air Ambulance, an Ontario-based medical evacuation company that transports patients to hospitals and provides repatriation services, according to its website.
On board the plane were two Canadian pilots, two Canadian medical staff members and two Bermuda nationals, according to The New York Times. All are still unaccounted for.
