Boston-Bound Medical Flight Vanishes Over Atlantic, Debris Found Off Massachusetts, 6 Still Missing

An air ambulance carrying six people from Bermuda to Boston vanished over the Atlantic early Saturday, with search crews later finding a debris field off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts, authorities said.

The Canadian-registered Gulfstream G100 had four crew members and two passengers aboard when it departed L.F. Wade International Airport in Bermuda for a nighttime medical flight to Boston. The passengers included four Canadian nationals and two Bermudian nationals, according to officials.

The US Coast Guard said the debris was located off Nantucket as the search operation continued. One of its cutters was expected to remain in the area overnight and into Sunday as crews searched the waters for further signs of the aircraft.

The disappearance came after the pilot reported electrical problems and declared an emergency while approaching the Massachusetts coast. Air traffic control audio indicated the aircraft may have been operating without its normal instruments shortly before contact was lost.

“Roger, you said you're coming in blind. Is that what you said?” a controller can be heard asking the pilot in audio posted by LiveATC.net.

Preliminary flight-tracking data from FlightRadar24 showed the aircraft descending sharply from about 24,000 feet to around 10,000 feet before it disappeared.

Former US Transportation Department Inspector General Mary Schiavo, an aviation attorney, said the combination of an apparent loss of instruments and severe weather could have created an extremely dangerous situation for the crew.

The aircraft appeared to be approaching a storm when the problems were reported, raising questions about whether the pilots became disoriented after losing critical navigation information.

Transport Canada said it was closely monitoring the situation and working with US and Bermudian authorities on search-and-rescue efforts. The National Transportation Safety Board said it was gathering information but had not immediately confirmed whether it would investigate.

Authorities said the next of kin of those aboard had been notified as the search continued.