US authorities have located debris from a medical transport aircraft that disappeared off the Massachusetts coast with six people on board. The Federal Aviation Administration lost contact with the Gulfstream G-100 plane just after 01:00 local time on Saturday while it was traveling from Bermuda to Boston.
Debris Field Confirmed Off Nantucket
The US Coast Guard confirmed in a Saturday night update that search crews had located a debris field from the aircraft. The search operation is taking place near Nantucket, an island located off the coast of Massachusetts. The Coast Guard stated that ships, helicopters, and planes were involved in the ongoing search efforts, which were scheduled to continue through the night.
Authorities have notified the next of kin of those on the flight. The passengers included four Canadian nationals and two Bermudian nationals. Among those on board were two pilots and two medical staff members, all Canadian, according to Clarence Togeretz, the director of flight operations at Latitude Air Ambulances.
Togeretz told CBC News that the crew had flown to Bermuda to collect a patient and their relative, who are not Canadian. The plane belonged to Latitude Air Ambulances, a company that provides international medical flights for patients returning home.
Altitude Drop and Radio Silence
Flight data from FlightAware shows the aircraft significantly dropped in altitude before its communications went dark. The plane plummeted from around 7,300 meters to 3,300 meters. The aircraft departed from L.F. Wade International Airport in Bermuda at 23:40 local time and was due to land at Boston Logan International Airport at 01:30 EDT.
Radio transmissions reveal trouble with communications between the air traffic controller and the pilot. The Boston Globe reported on transmissions provided by LiveATC.net. An air traffic controller asked if the pilot was coming in blind and whether they were declaring an emergency. The controller later noted that the pilot’s response was weak and difficult to hear.
The air traffic controller eventually confirmed that the pilot had declared an emergency. An area fire dispatcher asked emergency crews to prepare to meet a plane with an electrical issue just after 01:00 EDT. The dispatcher later stated that the aircraft had lost radio and radar contact.
The US Coast Guard said it would provide an update on Sunday morning local time. The search for survivors continues as authorities work to determine the cause of the disappearance.
Source: BBC
