A search is underway for six people aboard a Latitude Air Ambulance Gulfstream G100 after the aircraft disappeared over the Atlantic Ocean while flying from Bermuda to Boston.
The Canadian-registered aircraft, C-GRJP, departed L.F. Wade International Airport in Bermuda at approximately 12:41 a.m. on Saturday, October 3, bound for Boston Logan International Airport. Four crew members and two passengers were aboard.
The U.S. Coast Guard was alerted after air traffic controllers lost contact with the aircraft at around 2:00 a.m. while it was operating off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts. A debris field associated with the aircraft was later located in the Atlantic.
Emergency Declared Before Contact Was Lost
The Gulfstream G100 had been operating at around 24,000 feet when the crew reported an electrical problem and declared an emergency.
Air traffic control recordings indicate that communications with the aircraft subsequently became difficult, with a controller asking the pilot whether the aircraft was “coming in blind.” A nearby Ethiopian Airlines aircraft was also asked to attempt to establish contact with the Gulfstream, but no response was received.
Flight-tracking data showed the aircraft descending rapidly shortly before contact was lost. The circumstances surrounding the descent have not been established, and authorities have not determined what caused the aircraft to disappear.
Search Continues Off Nantucket
The U.S. Coast Guard deployed aircraft, helicopters and vessels to search the waters south of Nantucket.
Search crews subsequently located a debris field and confirmed that it was from the missing Gulfstream G100. Despite the discovery, the six people aboard remain unaccounted for.
The Coast Guard Cutter William Sparling continued search operations through the night, while additional aircraft were involved in the effort.
The six people aboard consisted of two pilots and two medical crew members from Canada, as well as a patient and their family member from Bermuda.
Authorities have notified the families of those aboard as the search continues.
The cause of the incident remains unknown. Investigators are expected to examine the aircraft’s reported electrical problems, its rapid descent, communications with air traffic control and weather conditions in the area.
The National Transportation Safety Board is gathering information, while Canadian and U.S. authorities continue to coordinate on the response.
