All six passengers presumed dead after plane went missing off US coast

Following the disappearance of a medical transport aircraft off the coast of Massachusetts, all six people aboard are presumed dead, according to their operator Latitude Air Ambulance. The United States Coast Guard announced on Sunday that it had concluded its search for survivors in the waters near Nantucket, a Massachusetts island.

The plane, a Gulfstream G-100, lost contact with air traffic control shortly after 01:00 local time on Saturday morning. A debris field linked to the aircraft was discovered by authorities on Saturday evening. Latitude Air Ambulance, a Canadian company specializing in international medical flights, had four Canadian nationals and two Bermudian nationals on board when the plane departed from Bermuda at 23:40 local time on Friday night.

The destination was Boston's Logan International Airport, where the aircraft was scheduled to arrive at 01:30 EDT (05:30 GMT). The plane's altitude dropped significantly prior to losing contact with air traffic control, plummeting from around 7,300 meters to 3,300 meters. Communications between the pilot and air traffic control became garbled, with the air traffic controller later confirming the pilot had declared an emergency.

Despite these indications, the pilot's final radio transmission was inaudible. The Coast Guard and emergency crews prepared for a plane with an "electrical issue" just after 01:00 EDT, at which point they were informed the aircraft had lost radio and radar contact. Latitude Air Ambulance expressed deep sorrow for the loss of its crew and passengers, vowing to support their families and cooperate with ongoing investigations.