Gulfstream G100 Missing Off Nantucket With Six Aboard

Gulfstream G100 Missing Off Nantucket With Six People Aboard

“We are praying for a safe outcome,” Latitude Air Ambulance told City News after a private medical evacuation jet vanished off the coast of Massachusetts. The Gulfstream G100 lost contact with air traffic control at approximately 2 a.m. local time on Saturday while flying from L.F. Wade International Airport in Bermuda to Boston Logan International Airport, US authorities reported. FlightAware data shows the aircraft plummeted from 23,500 feet to 11,000 feet in just three minutes before disappearing from radar near Nantucket.

Coast Guard Launches Multi-Agency Search and Rescue Operation

The US Coast Guard deployed planes, a helicopter, and two boats to search an area south of Nantucket after the Federal Aviation Administration issued a search-and-rescue notice at 1:20 a.m. Data from FlightRadar24 confirmed multiple aircraft searching the waters off the island. The Coast Guard later located a debris field off the coast of Nantucket. Local authorities on the island checked the local airport before shoreline sweeps began at sunrise, with officers and the harbormaster combing the southern shoreline using all-terrain vehicles.

Passenger Manifest and Flight Details

The missing aircraft was carrying six people: a four-person flight crew, a patient, and a family member, according to Clarence Togeretz, director of flight operations at Latitude Air Ambulance. Togeretz told The Boston Globe that the four crew members are Canadian citizens, while the patient and family member are Bermudian nationals. The flight was executing a medical evacuation from Bermuda, a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean situated roughly 650 miles from North Carolina.

Radio Transmissions and Radar Disappearance

As the aircraft descended toward the Atlantic, air traffic controllers sought to verify whether the pilot was declaring an emergency, according to audio obtained by The Boston Globe. A controller noted that transmissions were weak before confirming the pilot declared an emergency shortly before the jet vanished from radar around 1 a.m. Air traffic control tower audio obtained by NBC News indicates controllers asked another nearby plane to attempt contact with the missing jet. At Boston Logan International Airport, runway emergency crews were dispatched to standby positions before being ordered back to headquarters after tower personnel confirmed radar contact was lost.

Official Reactions From Bermuda and Massachusetts

Bermuda Premier David Burt issued a statement expressing concern for those on board. “My thoughts are with everyone on board and their families during this deeply worrying time. We are praying that all six people will be found safe, and we thank the search and rescue crews for their continuing efforts,” Burt said. Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey stated at a labor rally in Dorchester that the state would provide whatever support is necessary to assist the Coast Guard, according to The Boston Globe. A spokesperson for the Massachusetts Port Authority added that thoughts remain with the passengers and their loved ones while search operations continue.

Common Questions About the Nantucket Plane Disappearance

Where did the plane lose contact with controllers?

The aircraft lost contact with air traffic control near Nantucket, Massachusetts, after descending sharply from 23,500 feet to 11,000 feet in three minutes, as detailed by The Boston Globe.