Search crews off Nantucket found a debris field confirmed to be from a missing Latitude Air Ambulance Gulfstream G100 jet carrying six people from Bermuda to Boston. The Federal Aviation Administration lost contact with the aircraft early Saturday morning following a rapid descent and reported electrical issues.
Federal Aviation Administration Traces Missing Flight From Bermuda
The flight departed Bermuda’s L.F. Wade International Airport shortly before 1 a.m. local time, according to data from FlightAware and operator Skyport. The Canadian-registered Gulfstream G100 twin-jet, bearing tail number C-GRJP, was en route to Boston Logan International Airport when communication vanished over the Atlantic. Among those on board were four Canadian nationals and two Bermudian nationals, and authorities confirmed that next of kin have been notified.
The passenger manifest included two pilots and two medical staff, all Canadian, alongside a patient and the patient’s relative. Clarence Togeretz, director of flight operations at Latitude, confirmed that the crew had flown to Bermuda specifically to collect a patient and their accompanying family member for repatriation.
Audio Captures Rapid Descent Before Radar Loss
Flight trackers recorded a steep altitude drop shortly before communications went dark, with the aircraft plummeting from roughly 24,000 feet to 11,000 feet in about two minutes. Radio transmissions captured by LiveATC.net revealed mounting trouble in the cockpit as the jet approached the Massachusetts coast.
“You’re coming in blind? Is that what you said?” the air traffic controller asked. “Are you declaring an emergency, or no?”
Air traffic controller
An area fire dispatcher asked emergency crews at Boston Logan just after 1 a.m. to prepare for an incoming plane dealing with an electrical issue
. The dispatcher subsequently reported that the aircraft has lost radio and radar
. Air traffic controllers later confirmed that the pilot had officially declared an emergency before the signal disappeared about 80 miles south of Nantucket. The Federal Aviation Administration triggered an official search and rescue alert notice at approximately 1:20 a.m.
Coast Guard Cutter William Sparling Leads Overnight Search Near Nantucket
Saturday marks the ongoing efforts by the United States Coast Guard to find the six individuals from the missing medical flight, following the discovery of verified aircraft debris in waters near Nantucket. Rescue assets from multiple branches deployed to the waters south of the Massachusetts island community.
Search operations have covered approximately 1,644 square miles by the time the debris field was located. Teams deployed to the area feature an HC-144 Ocean Sentry airplane crew from Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod, an HC-130 Hercules crew from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod, 47-foot motor lifeboat crews from Coast Guard Station Brant Point, and the Boston-based Fast Response Cutter William Sparling, which maintained search efforts through the night.
International Officials Respond to the Missing Jet
Canadian Minister of Transport Steven MacKinnon shared a statement on social media confirming that federal authorities are monitoring the situation. In Bermuda, Premier David Burt posted a statement on Instagram noting that the island government remains in direct contact with United States authorities and the affected families, stating, We are praying that all six people will be found safe
.
Former Transportation Department inspector general Mary Schiavo noted that severe weather conditions can occasionally cause aircraft to lose navigational instruments, leading to spatial disorientation. The National Transportation Safety Board announced it was gathering information on the incident as search and rescue operations continued.
