Six presumed dead as US Coast Guard ends search for missing medical plane

The United States Coast Guard has concluded its search for survivors from a medical transport aircraft that went missing off the coast of Nantucket. Six individuals aboard the plane are now presumed dead. The aircraft, operated by Latitude Air Ambulance, was en route from Bermuda to Boston when it disappeared.

Search efforts conclude

Read Next in Barnet Press3 min read

Woman Fined £30,000 for Fabricating Pregnancies

High Court judge rules woman deceived ex-partner with elaborate lies about two children who likely never existed.

On Sunday evening, the Coast Guard announced the termination of its search operations. Latitude Air Ambulance subsequently issued a statement confirming the grim outlook. "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 stated. The company's president, Peter Byl, expressed condolences to the families and friends of those on board.

Flight details and loss of contact

The Gulfstream G-100 aircraft had departed from Bermuda's L.F. Wade International Airport at 23:40 local time on Friday. It was scheduled to arrive at Boston's Logan International Airport at 01:30 EDT on Saturday. Flight data indicates that the plane experienced a significant and rapid loss of altitude, dropping from approximately 7,300 metres to 3,300 metres before communications were lost. The Federal Aviation Administration reported losing contact with the aircraft shortly after 01:00 EDT on Saturday. Authorities located a debris field confirmed to be from the aircraft on Saturday evening.

Related Borough Coverage4 min read

Fans take extreme measures to avoid concert spoilers

Social media posts featuring artists like Charli XCX have surged, prompting some concert-goers to seek ways to preserve surprise elements.

Emergency transmissions

Transmissions between the air traffic controller and the pilot suggested difficulties. An air traffic controller questioned if the pilot was "coming in blind" and asked if an emergency was being declared. The pilot's response was not clearly audible in initial reports. The controller later confirmed that an emergency had been declared. Emergency crews were alerted just after 01:00 EDT to prepare for a plane experiencing an "electrical issue". The dispatcher later confirmed that the aircraft had lost both radio and radar contact.

Company background

Latitude Air Ambulance is a Canadian company that specialises in international medical flights for patients returning to their home countries. The flight manifest included two pilots, two medical staff, a patient, and a family escort. Latitude has stated it will continue to cooperate with authorities in the ongoing recovery and investigation efforts, refraining from speculation about the cause of the incident.