The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended its search for six people aboard a medical transport jet that disappeared during a flight from Bermuda to Boston after rescuers found debris from the aircraft off Nantucket. The Gulfstream G100 vanished early Saturday, Oct. 3, after the pilot reported electrical problems and declared an emergency. Despite an extensive search covering thousands of square miles, the six people aboard remain missing..
Story Snapshot
- The Canadian-registered Gulfstream G100 was flying from Bermuda to Boston.
- Six people were aboard: four Canadian crew members and two Bermudian passengers.
- The Coast Guard searched for approximately 66 hours before suspending the operation.
- The six people aboard have not been located.
Medical Jet Disappears Near Nantucket
The aircraft departed L.F. Wade International Airport in Bermuda early Saturday on a medical transport flight to Boston Logan International Airport. The plane was operated by Latitude Air Ambulance, an Ontario-based medical transportation company, and was registered in Canada. Four crew members and two passengers were aboard. The passengers were a patient and a family member from Bermuda, while the crew members were Canadian. The Federal Aviation Administration notified the Coast Guard after air traffic controllers lost contact with the aircraft.
The Coast Guard launched aircraft and surface vessels to search the waters south of Nantucket. The response included aircraft from Air Station Cape Cod, a helicopter, a motor lifeboat and the cutter William Sparling.
Pilot Reported Electrical Problems
Air traffic recordings provide additional information about the aircraft’s final minutes. The pilot reported electrical problems as the Gulfstream approached the Massachusetts coast and ultimately declared an emergency. Controllers struggled to communicate with the crew before contact was lost.
Flight-tracking data indicate the aircraft descended rapidly from its cruising altitude of approximately 24,000 feet. Reports based on preliminary data indicate it dropped thousands of feet within a matter of minutes before disappearing from radar. The available information does not establish what caused the descent or whether the reported electrical problems were responsible. Investigators will need to examine the aircraft, flight data, communications and weather conditions to determine what happened.
Debris Found Off Nantucket
Search crews later located a debris field believed to be from the missing aircraft in waters off Nantucket. The debris was found in relatively shallow water, with reports placing the field in an area roughly 80 to 90 feet deep. The discovery shifted the operation from an initial search for the aircraft to efforts to locate the six people aboard and recover relevant wreckage.
The Coast Guard ultimately suspended the search after approximately 66 hours and more than 4,400 square miles of searching. The six occupants had not been found when the operation was suspended.
Who Was On The Plane?
The aircraft carried six people. According to authorities and the aircraft operator, the four crew members were Canadian. The other two people were Bermudian passengers: a medical patient and a family member accompanying the patient. Authorities have not publicly released all of the individuals’ names. Officials from Bermuda and Canada have expressed concern for the families and said they are coordinating with authorities involved in the response.
Investigation Into The Final Minutes
The debris discovery provides investigators with a physical site to examine, but the cause of the incident remains undetermined. The pilot’s report of electrical problems, the emergency declaration, the rapid descent and the aircraft’s disappearance from radar are among the key pieces of information investigators will examine. The National Transportation Safety Board is gathering information, while Canadian and U.S. authorities are involved in the response and investigation.
For now, the central unanswered question is what happened during the aircraft’s final minutes over the Atlantic and why the crew was unable to bring the medical flight safely to Boston. The search has been suspended, but the investigation into the disappearance and the recovery of the aircraft’s occupants and wreckage remains ongoing.
Sources:
facebook.com, wcvb.com, nbcboston.com, pinkpillbox.com, faa.gov
