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Coast Guard Searches for Missing Medical Plane Off Mass. Coast
Confirmed
In Short: The aircraft, a Gulfstream G100, was last seen off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts, after losing contact with air traffic control.
The aircraft, a Gulfstream G100, was last seen off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts, after losing contact with air traffic control.
The Coast Guard Northeast District stated that air and surface crews had launched in search of the aircraft, with updates to be provided as information becomes available.
The plane, registered in Canada and owned by Latitude Air Ambulance, had taken off from Bermuda International Airport at 11:41 p.m. ET on Friday.
The FAA issued a Search and Rescue Alert Notice for the Gulfstream G100 at 1:20 a.m. local time on Saturday, and the Coast Guard responded with HC-144 and MH-60 aircraft from Air Station Cape Cod, a 47-foot Motor Lifeboat from Station Brant Point, and a Fast Response Cutter from the USCGC William Sparling.
The Coast Guard said the search area was located off Nantucket, and the operation included air and maritime assets after the aircraft disappeared from radar over the North Atlantic.
Latitude Air Ambulance, based at Hamilton International Airport in Ontario, specializes in long-distance medical evacuations and patient repatriations.
Massachusetts Port Authority spokesperson Jennifer Mehigan confirmed that the plane was expected to land at Logan Airport in Boston.
The Coast Guard has not released further details about the circumstances surrounding the loss of contact or the identities of those on board.
The search is ongoing, and the Coast Guard said it would continue to provide updates as information becomes available.
The New York Times reported that the plane had plummeted from 23,500 feet to 11,000 feet in just three minutes starting at 1:04 a.m., and the Coast Guard was scouring the seas for the plane or wreckage.
What's confirmed
- “USCG air & surface crews have launched in search of the aircraft. Updates will be provided here as info becomes available,” the Coast Guard stated. #BREAKING : @uscg is searching for a Gulfstream aircraft with 6 persons on board. @FAANews reported losing contact w/the aircraft early Saturday morning. #USCG air & surface crews have launched in search of the aircraft.
What's still developing
- Authorities have not announced the names of those on the plane or clarified whether a patient was on board.
- Authorities have not confirmed whether the flight was carrying a patient, who was on board, or what caused contact with the plane to be lost.