Emergency responders are actively searching the waters near Massachusetts for a missing medical aircraft carrying six individuals. Authorities initiated the search early Saturday after the plane vanished from radar off the coast of Nantucket.
The Federal Aviation Administration reported losing contact with the flight shortly after 1:00 local time. The agency immediately issued an alert to launch search-and-rescue operations in the area. The United States Coast Guard Northeast District confirmed that both maritime and aerial teams are currently combing the region for any sign of the missing aircraft.
Flight tracking data indicates that the journey began late Friday evening in Bermuda. The Gulfstream G-100 lifted off from L.F. Wade International Airport shortly before midnight and was scheduled to arrive at Boston Logan International Airport.
According to registration details provided by the Coast Guard, the aircraft is operated by Latitude Air Ambulances. The company specializes in transporting patients back to their home countries for specialized medical care.
Management at the airline confirmed the roster of individuals aboard the flight. The personnel included two pilots and a pair of medical professionals, all of whom are Canadian citizens. The crew had traveled to Bermuda to retrieve a patient and an accompanying family member who are not Canadian nationals.
Flight tracking records show that the aircraft experienced a sudden and sharp descent shortly before all communication ceased. The plane dropped rapidly from an altitude of roughly 24,000 feet down to 11,000 feet before disappearing from tracking monitors.
Search efforts remain ongoing as federal and local agencies coordinate rescue operations in the Atlantic waters south of Cape Cod. Additional updates on the status of the search are expected as authorities gather more information from the area.
Reporting based on coverage first published by BBC News. Read the original report at BBC News.
