US Coast Guard finds debris from missing medical aircraft off Nantucket

The US Coast Guard discovered debris from a missing medical transport aircraft on Saturday off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts, and is currently conducting a search for six individuals on board. The Federal Aviation Administration informed the Coast Guard early on Saturday that they had lost contact with a Gulfstream jet en route from Bermuda to Boston.

Four passengers on the plane were Canadians, as confirmed by Canadian Minister of Transport Steven MacKinnon on X. The remaining two passengers were Bermudian nationals, according to the Coast Guard. The ongoing search and rescue efforts will continue throughout the night near Nantucket, an island community south of mainland Massachusetts.

The Gulfstream jet, registered to Latitude Air Ambulance, departed from Bermuda at 12:41 a.m. local time on Saturday (0301 GMT according to GMT). After flying at 24,000 feet (7,300 meters) for the majority of the journey, the aircraft descended approximately 13,000 feet in about two minutes before losing contact with flight controllers.

Boston 25, a local TV station, aired an audio clip from Boston Logan International Airport where an air traffic controller questioned the Gulfstream pilot about flying blind and whether the plane was declaring an emergency, but received no response. Latitude Air Ambulance, based in Ontario, Canada, specializes in medical evacuation services.

The company has yet to comment on the matter. The government of Bermuda is in communication with US authorities and the families of the passengers, with Bermuda Premier David Burt expressing prayer for the safe return of all six individuals in a statement posted on Instagram.