Boston: US authorities have found a debris field believed to be from a medical transport plane that went missing with six people on board while travelling from Bermuda to Boston.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) stated that it lost contact with the Gulfstream G-100 shortly after 01:00 local time on Octber 3 as the aircraft was flying towards Boston, Massachusetts. The US Coast Guard remarked that search and rescue operations were continuing off the coast of Nantucket, with ships, helicopters and aircraft involved in the search.
Authorities have notified the next of kin of all six people on board. The passengers and crew included four Canadian nationals and two Bermudian nationals. The Coast Guard highlighted that search teams located debris from the aircraft off the Nantucket coast. Rescue crews were expected to continue searching through the night.
Aircraft was carrying patient from Bermuda
The aircraft departed from Bermuda’s L.F. Wade International Airport at 23:40 local time, according to FlightAware data. It was scheduled to arrive at Boston Logan International Airport at around 01:30 EDT.
The aircraft’s tail number identified it as belonging to Latitude Air Ambulances, a company that operates international medical flights for patients returning to their home countries. The crew had travelled to Bermuda to collect a patient and the patient’s relative, who were not Canadian.
Aircraft lost altitude before communications failed
FlightAware tracking data showed that the aircraft experienced a significant drop in altitude before communications were lost. The plane descended from around 7,300 metres (24,000 feet) to approximately 3,300 metres (11,000 feet).
Radio transmissions between the pilot and air traffic control also indicated difficulties with communications, according to the Boston Globe, which reviewed transmissions provided by LiveATC.net.
An air traffic controller was heard asking whether the aircraft was experiencing communication problems and whether the pilot was declaring an emergency. The pilot’s response was reportedly inaudible, although the controller later confirmed that an emergency had been declared.
A local fire dispatcher subsequently instructed emergency crews to prepare for an aircraft reporting an electrical issue. The dispatcher later reported that the aircraft had lost both radio and radar contact. The cause of the incident remains under investigation as search and recovery operations continue off the Massachusetts coast.
MOST READ | Verstappen leads F1 practice as Sepang returns to calendar
