A Canadian air ambulance jet carrying six people vanished over the Atlantic on a flight from Bermuda to Boston. It lost contact with air traffic controllers around 1 a.m. Eastern time early Saturday, October 3, and the Coast Guard later confirmed that debris found off Nantucket, Massachusetts, came from the plane. Officials have not given a cause.
Story Snapshot
- The plane was a Gulfstream G100, a small twin-engine jet, flown by Latitude Air Ambulance, a Hamilton, Ontario, company that moves patients by air.
- Six people were aboard: two pilots and two medical crew members from Canada, plus two Bermudians, a patient and a relative.
- The Coast Guard searched about 1,644 square miles over roughly 27 hours and confirmed Saturday night that the debris belongs to the jet.
- The Coast Guard suspended the search on Sunday evening, October 4. No survivors were found.
What Happened Over the Atlantic
The jet left Bermuda late Friday night and was due at Boston’s Logan Airport around 1:30 a.m. Saturday. The Federal Aviation Administration, which runs air traffic control, lost contact with it around 1 a.m. Flight data reported by news outlets showed the jet dropped from about 24,000 feet to about 11,000 feet in two minutes. Air traffic audio captured the pilot declaring an emergency. A controller asked, “You said you’re coming in blind. Is that what you said?”
The Coast Guard sent planes, helicopters, a motor lifeboat and the cutter William Sparling to the waters south of Nantucket. By Saturday night, crews had found a debris field and confirmed it belongs to the missing aircraft. No survivors have been reported. Officials have not released the names of the six people. The National Transportation Safety Board, the federal agency that investigates crashes, began gathering information Saturday morning.
How a Search at Sea Works
Searchers start at the plane’s last known position and spread outward. Winds and currents push wreckage and life rafts away, so the search area keeps growing. Night work is harder, with darkness and few landmarks to guide crews. That is why the Coast Guard kept flying and sailing through the night rather than waiting for daylight.
Why This Hits a Nerve
An air ambulance exists to get a sick person to a hospital fast. This flight carried a patient and a family member. Bermuda’s premier, David Burt, said, “We are praying that all six people will be found safe.” Canada’s transport minister, Steve MacKinnon, said his thoughts are with everyone on board.
What Comes Next
The Coast Guard suspended the search on Sunday evening, October 4. Investigators will now try to recover wreckage and look for the flight recorders, which store the plane’s data and cockpit sounds. They will study the maintenance record, the weather and the crew’s last messages. Officials say they will share confirmed facts in stages. For now, they have not said what went wrong.
Sources:
cbc.ca, thespec.com, wionews.com, aviationlawgroup.com