The U.S. Coast Guard says searchers have located a debris field associated with a missing Ontario-based air ambulance jet off the coast of Nantucket, Mass., as the search continues for the six people who were aboard, CTV News reported Saturday.
The Coast Guard confirmed the debris is linked to the aircraft, a Gulfstream G100 operated by Latitude Air Ambulance of Hamilton, Ont., according to CTV News and Local 10, which carried the Coast Guard’s announcement. None of the reports reviewed by Canada News Media said whether any survivors had been found, and the Coast Guard had not described what the debris consisted of.
The jet was flying from L.F. Wade International Airport in Bermuda to Boston Logan International Airport when it lost contact early Saturday. Six people were aboard, including four Canadians, CTV News reported. In earlier reporting, CP24 said the four Canadians were the crew, two pilots and two medical staff, and that the other two people were Bermuda nationals, a patient and a family member travelling with them.
Published accounts differ on the exact timeline. CBS News, citing flight-tracking data, reported that the aircraft left Bermuda late Friday night and that it “quickly dropped from about 24,000 feet in the air to 11,000 feet before losing contact.” The Federal Aviation Administration issued a Search and Rescue Alert Notice after it lost radar and radio contact with the plane. Outlets have cited slightly different times for the loss of contact, ranging from roughly 1 a.m. to 2 a.m., and Canada News Media has not been able to reconcile them.
CP24 reported earlier Saturday that the crew declared an emergency before the aircraft disappeared, and that air traffic control audio captured the pilot saying the crew was “coming in blind.” The cause of the emergency has not been made public. Latitude Air Ambulance’s director of flight operations told NBC News the company was remaining hopeful and was concerned when the crew did not report in on time.
The Coast Guard’s Northeast District launched air and surface crews Saturday morning. According to CP24, the response has included two aircraft, a helicopter, a search and rescue lifeboat and a cutter. Canada’s transport minister, Steven MacKinnon, said federal authorities were “closely monitoring” the situation, according to CP24, and Bermuda Premier David Burt said in a statement that the island was praying all six people would be found safe.
Air ambulance flights between Bermuda and the U.S. mainland are a regular lifeline for the territory, which relies on larger centres such as Boston for specialized care it cannot provide locally. The waters south of Nantucket are open Atlantic, which can make search and recovery work difficult, particularly when debris drifts with the currents.
No investigation has been publicly announced. In incidents of this kind, aviation authorities typically examine flight-data and cockpit recordings if they can be recovered, along with air traffic control audio and maintenance records. Findings can take months. Until officials release more information, the fate of the six people aboard has not been confirmed.
This is a developing story and details may change as the Coast Guard, the FAA and the operator release more information. It updates our earlier report, Air Ambulance With 6 Aboard Missing Off Nantucket.
Via CTV News, with additional reporting from CP24, CBS News, NBC News and Local 10: original report from CTV News.
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