A medical transport aircraft, Gulfstream G-100, with six people on board, went missing on Saturday while traveling from Bermuda to Boston. The plane, operated by Latitude Air Ambulance, lost contact with the Federal Aviation Administration just after 01:00 local time on Saturday morning. The aircraft departed from Bermuda's L.F. Wade International Airport at 23:40 local time on Friday night and was due to land at Boston's Logan International Airport at 01:30 EDT.
The United States Coast Guard ended its search for survivors off the coast of Nantucket, a Massachusetts island, on Sunday evening. According to Latitude Air Ambulance, the four members of their team, a patient, and the patient's family escort, who were aboard Heartbeat 104, are presumed to have died. The company expressed condolences to their families, loved ones, friends, and colleagues. The incident is being investigated, and the company is cooperating with relevant authorities.
The plane carried four Canadian nationals and two Bermudian nationals. Two pilots and two medical staff, both Canadian, had flown to Bermuda to collect a patient and their relative. FlightAware's tracker showed that the aircraft significantly dropped in altitude before its communications went dark, plummeting from around 7,300m to 3,300m.
Radio transmissions revealed trouble with communications between the air traffic controller and the pilot. The air traffic controller asked if the pilot was declaring an emergency, but the response was inaudible. The controller later confirmed the pilot had declared an emergency. An area fire dispatcher asked emergency crews to prepare to meet a plane with an "electrical issue".
Authorities located a "debris field" confirmed to be from the aircraft on Saturday evening. Latitude Air Ambulance stated that it would continue to cooperate with authorities in ongoing recovery efforts and investigations. The company said it would not speculate about what occurred.
Peter Byl, President of Latitude Air Ambulance, expressed his condolences, saying it was an unimaginable loss for their family and everyone who loved the six people aboard Heartbeat 104. The company's focus is now on supporting their families, staff, and assisting authorities.
The investigation into the incident is ongoing, and Latitude Air Ambulance will cooperate with authorities to determine the circumstances and cause of the aviation accident.
Key points
- - The medical transport plane carried six people, including four Canadian nationals and two Bermudian nationals. - The aircraft significantly dropped in altitude before losing communication with air traffic control. - The United States Coast Guard ended its search for survivors on Sunday evening.
