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The U.S. Coast Guard launched an urgent search early Saturday after a Hamilton-based air ambulance carrying six people disappeared off the coast of Nantucket. The Federal Aviation Administration issued a Search and Rescue Alert for the Gulfstream G-100 aircraft at approximately 1:20 a.m. Saturday, after the plane failed to reach its destination.
The jet departed from L.F. Wade International Airport in Bermuda and was heading to Boston Logan International Airport. It was scheduled to arrive around 1:30 a.m. However, the Massachusetts Port Authority, which operates Boston Logan, confirmed the aircraft never arrived. “Our thoughts are with those on board and their loved ones as the search continues,” a port authority spokesperson said.
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Flight Data Shows Rapid Descent Before Contact Lost
According to FlightAware data, the plane took off from Bermuda at approximately 11:40 p.m. Friday. Around 1:05 a.m. Saturday, the aircraft slowed significantly and dropped from 24,000 feet to 11,000 feet. Shortly after, the plane lost contact entirely.
Aviation expert John Gradek of McGill University told Global News that authorities are conducting what is known as a pattern search. He noted that the lack of a confirmed location complicates the operation. “These aircraft are typically equipped with a transponder that basically beeps out to the world about location,” Gradek said. “I’m not sure whether that transponder got deployed or not,” he added, suggesting rescuers do not yet have a pinpointed position.
Latitude Air Ambulance Identifies Those on Board
FlightRadar24 data identifies the jet as belonging to Latitude Air Ambulance, a company headquartered in Hamilton, Ontario. The company operates four Gulfstream G-100 jets, which it describes as the “longest range dedicated medevac aircraft in North America.”
Gradek spoke highly of the operator. He called Latitude Air Ambulance the “premier long distance air ambulance service in North America” and noted the company flies well-maintained, reliable aircraft. “They’ve been around a few years, they fly high quality, good maintenance airplanes, and are very reliable,” he said.
Clarence Togeretz, operations manager for Latitude Air Ambulance, told The Canadian Press this marks the first time the company has lost contact with one of its planes. He confirmed the aircraft carried a patient and one family member, along with two pilots and two medical staff. The four crew and medical personnel are Canadian nationals, while the two passengers hold Bermudian citizenship.
Search Efforts Continue as Families Are Notified
The Coast Guard deployed both air and surface crews to search the area. The Bermuda government also confirmed it reached out to the families of those on board following news of the disappearance.
The missing aircraft had completed a flight from Hamilton to Bermuda earlier on Friday before departing on its return leg to Boston. As of Saturday morning, the search remained ongoing, with no confirmed location for the downed Gulfstream G-100 or those aboard the Latitude Air Ambulance flight.
