The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search for six people aboard a missing medical transport plane off Nantucket after locating a debris field confirmed to be from the aircraft, with authorities now focusing on recovery efforts.
Debris Field Confirmed, Search Suspended
The Coast Guard confirmed a debris field off Nantucket on October 3, 2026, after losing contact with the Gulfstream G100 aircraft around 1 a.m. The search involved multiple assets, including HC-144 Ocean Sentry airplanes, MH-60 Jayhawk helicopters, and the Coast Guard Cutter William Sparling. Despite extensive efforts, no survivors were found, and the search was suspended on October 4. Suspending a search is not an easy decision,
Rear Adm. Matthew Lake, Commander of the Northeast District, said in a statement. We express our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones affected by the tragedy and our gratitude for our partner agencies who helped support search efforts.
The plane, which had departed Bermuda’s L.F. Wade International Airport at 11:41 p.m. on October 2, 2026, was scheduled to land at Boston’s Logan International Airport at 1:30 a.m. FlightAware data showed the aircraft descending rapidly from 24,000 feet to 11,000 feet within minutes before losing contact. Air traffic control audio captured the pilot’s final exchange, with a controller asking, You’re coming in blind? Is that what you said?
The pilot’s response was unclear, and the aircraft vanished from radar. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a Search and Rescue Alert Notice for the Gulfstream at 1:20 a.m., according to sources.
Assets included an HC-144 Ocean Sentry airplane, an HC-130 Hercules airplane, an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter, a 47-foot Motor Lifeboat, and the Fast Response Cutter William Sparling. The Nantucket Police and Harbormaster also searched the island’s shores. The current search area is offshore of Nantucket,
Rear Adm. Lake said during a press conference, and we’ve employed fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, boats, and cutters to search the area.
Favorable weather conditions were reported on Sunday, according to Coast Guard.
Passengers and Crew Identified
The six individuals on board included four Canadian crew members—two pilots and two medical staff—and two Bermudian passengers, a patient and their relative. Clarence Togeretz, director of flight operations at Latitude Air Ambulance, confirmed the crew’s Canadian nationality and stated the plane had been en route to collect a patient in Bermuda. We must now face the heartbreaking reality that the four members of our Latitude team, our patient and the patient’s family escort, who were aboard Heartbeat 104, are presumed to have died,
the company said in a statement. The Bermudian government confirmed the two passengers were a medical patient and a companion.
The plane, a Gulfstream G100, was owned by Latitude Air Ambulance, a Canadian medical transport company. The flight was scheduled to land in Boston at 1:12 a.m., according to FlightAware data.
Identifying the Aircraft's Black Box Components
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Transportation Safety Board of Canada are investigating the crash. The Coast Guard is working with Massachusetts authorities to deploy sonar-equipped vessels to scan the sea floor for the aircraft’s black box. It’s very difficult at this point to identify exactly what those components are,
said Kastriot Kastrati, coordinator of the Coast Guard’s search and rescue mission. The debris that we have recovered, we’ve safeguarded and kept for future investigative efforts.
Latitude Air Ambulance, based in Hamilton, Ontario, has pledged to cooperate with authorities. Determining the circumstances and cause of an aviation accident is a careful and methodical process, and we will not speculate about what occurred,
the company said. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is gathering information to assess the incident, spokesperson Hugo Fontaine said in an email.
Debris was found 20 miles south of Nantucket in waters 80–90 feet deep. The search area was large and demanding,
Rear Adm. Lake said during a press conference. We’ve employed fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, boats, and cutters to search the area.
The black box remains unfound, and investigators have not yet determined the exact number of recovered items.
International Response and Support
The incident has drawn international attention, with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) coordinating with the Rescue Coordination Center and the Coast Guard. The FAA stated, The FAA is coordinating with the Rescue Coordination Center and the U.S. Coast Guard to locate the aircraft.
The Massachusetts Port Authority confirmed the plane did not arrive as scheduled, adding, Our thoughts are with those on board and their loved ones as the search continues.
The Bermuda government has been in contact with families of the passengers, with Premier Burt stating, We are praying that all six people will be found safe, and we thank the search and rescue crews for their continuing efforts.
The Bermudan government also confirmed it was in contact with American authorities and the families of those on board.
Search Assets and Timeline
The search involved multiple agencies, including the Coast Guard, Air National Guard, and local authorities. Assets included the HC-144 Ocean Sentry and HC-130 Hercules from Air Station Elizabeth City, MH-60 Jayhawk helicopters from Cape Cod, a 47-foot Motor Lifeboat from Brant Point, and the Fast Response Cutter William Sparling. The Air National Guard deployed two HH-60 helicopters from the 106th Rescue Wing. Nantucket Police and Harbormaster personnel searched the island’s shores, though no debris was found there.
The search began after the aircraft lost contact at 1 a.m. on October 3. The Coast Guard issued a Search and Rescue Alert Notice at 1:20 a.m. and confirmed the debris field later that day. The search continued through the night, with the William Sparling cutter conducting operations throughout. The Coast Guard suspended the search on October 4 after 66 hours of effort, stating, We’ve saturated the area until we’re at the point that, if there were any survivors remaining on the surface of the water, we would have found them.