A medical transfer jet carrying six people went missing early Saturday while flying from Bermuda to Boston, prompting a major U.S. Coast Guard air-and-surface search in waters off Nantucket, Massachusetts.
Jet vanished with six aboard
The aircraft is a Gulfstream G100, a twin-engine mid-size jet registered in Canada with tail number C-GRJP, operated by Latitude Air Ambulance of Hamilton, Ontario as a medical transport aircraft. Six people were on board: four crew members and two passengers, according to a statement from L.F. Wade International Airport in Bermuda. Their identities have not been released.
Dropped 12,000 feet in three minutes
The jet departed L.F. Wade International Airport in Bermuda late Friday night, bound for Boston Logan International Airport. FlightAware tracking data shows the aircraft suddenly plummeted from 23,500 feet to 11,000 feet in three minutes starting around 1:04 a.m. The final radar ping came at 1:23 a.m., just two minutes before the scheduled landing time.
FAA alerted, search forces deployed
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a Search and Rescue Alert Notice for the Gulfstream G100 around 1:20 a.m. and notified the Coast Guard at approximately 2 a.m. The Coast Guard's Northeast district said the search area is offshore of Nantucket, with HC-144 and MH-60 Jayhawk aircraft from Air Station Cape Cod, an HC-130 Hercules from Air Station Elizabeth City, a 47-foot Motor Lifeboat from Station Brant Point, and the Fast Response Cutter USCGC William Sparling all deployed. A Logan Airport official confirmed the flight never arrived and offered condolences to those on board and their families.
Operator worried as crew missed check-in
The director of flight operations at Latitude Air Ambulance told NBC News the company gets "rather concerned" when its crews don't report in a timely manner. The company transports patients requiring specialized care from around the world. Neither the company, the FAA, nor the National Transportation Safety Board has released further details. A company spokesperson said its emergency response protocol has been activated and it is cooperating fully with the Coast Guard's search effort. Flight-tracking data showed multiple search aircraft operating south of Nantucket on Saturday morning.
Clear skies as search continues
Weather over Nantucket was clear Saturday morning, favorable for search operations. The Coast Guard said it will continue searching and provide updates as they become available. The search remains active and the story is still developing. Authorities have asked anyone with information about the flight to contact the Coast Guard.