Settled
Coast Guard suspends search for 6 missing after air ambulance crash off Nantucket
Version 2: The Coast Guard has now confirmed the debris belonged to the aircraft and suspended its search on Sunday evening after covering roughly 4,445 square miles, with no cause stated and no outcome given for the six people on board.
In short
The U.S. Coast Guard said it suspended its search Sunday evening for six people who were aboard a Gulfstream G100 air ambulance that went missing early Saturday on a flight from Bermuda to Boston. A debris field found off Nantucket was confirmed to belong to the aircraft. Four Canadian nationals and two Bermudian nationals were on board, and authorities have not stated what caused the loss of contact.
Why it matters
The flight was a medical transport registered in Canada and carrying Canadian and Bermudian nationals, and it drew in the U.S. Coast Guard and the Federal Aviation Administration as well as statements from Canada's transport minister and Bermuda's premier. The New York Post reported that an investigation will follow, but the documents do not state a cause or the fate of the six people on board.
Key facts
- The Coast Guard said it suspended the search Sunday evening, more than 40 hours after contact with the aircraft was lost. [ 8 , 9 , 12 , 13 ]
- A debris field located off the coast of Nantucket was confirmed to be associated with the missing aircraft, the Coast Guard said. [ 2 , 3 , 12 ]
- Six people were on board: four Canadian nationals and two Bermudian nationals, according to the Coast Guard. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 12 , 13 ]
- The aircraft was a Gulfstream G100 with tail number C-GRJP, registered to Canada-based Latitude Air Ambulance, according to the Coast Guard. [ 2 , 3 , 8 , 12 ]
- It departed Bermuda's L.F. Wade International Airport bound for Boston Logan International Airport. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 12 ]
- The Coast Guard said it searched roughly 4,445 square miles over more than 66 hours. [ 12 ]
- A Nantucket Memorial Airport spokesperson said the aircraft “reportedly declared an emergency prior to the loss of contact,” and that details of the incident remain unconfirmed. [ 12 ]
- The New York Post reported officials said next of kin had been notified that the search was ending and that an investigation will follow. [ 8 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search for the six people on board. [ 8 , 9 , 12 , 13 ]
- A debris field found off Nantucket was confirmed to belong to the missing aircraft. [ 2 , 3 , 12 ]
- Six people were on board: four Canadian nationals and two Bermudian nationals, according to the Coast Guard. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 12 , 13 ]
- The aircraft was a Gulfstream G100 registered to Canada-based Latitude Air Ambulance, with tail number C-GRJP. [ 2 , 3 , 8 , 12 ]
- The flight departed Bermuda bound for Boston Logan International Airport. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 12 ]
Still unclear
- What caused the aircraft to lose contact and descend. NBC News reported authorities declined to speculate on the cause, and the documents give no cause.
- The fate or condition of the six people on board. The Coast Guard suspended the search without stating an outcome for those on board.
- Whether the aircraft declared an emergency before contact was lost. A Nantucket Memorial Airport spokesperson said the aircraft “reportedly declared an emergency” and that details remain unconfirmed.
- The identities of those on board. The Hill reported authorities have not publicly identified them.
- The exact time contact was lost. CBS News reported the FAA lost contact at around 1 a.m., reported the FAA issued a search-and-rescue notice at 1:20 a.m., and the Coast Guard said it was notified around 2 a.m.
- How the six people divided between crew and passengers. CBS News, citing the Coast Guard, reported four crew members and two passengers; the New York Post reported two medics, two pilots, a Bermudian patient and their relative; NBC News reported the two included the patient and their son.
- The Coast Guard said it searched roughly 4,445 square miles over more than 66 hours. Reported by a single source so far
What local media are saying
Business mediaAll outlets covering the event are typed as business and treated it as straight news, relying on U.S. Coast Guard and Federal Aviation Administration statements and flight-tracking data from FlightAware and Flightradar24. NBC News added detail from air traffic control and emergency services audio and noted that authorities declined to speculate on a cause; CBS News reported the debris find, the flight profile and reaction from Canadian and Bermudian officials; UPI focused on the confirmed debris field, the search area covered and, later, the suspension; the New York Post led on the suspension and the audio, describing the disappearance as a tragedy; The Hill reported the suspension, the search area and the airport statement about an emergency declaration; The New York Times ran an explanatory piece on the aircraft and route.
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Timeline, local time
- The air ambulance took off from Bermuda's L.F. Wade International Airport bound for Boston Logan, according to FlightAware data cited by CBS News. [ 2 ]
- The Federal Aviation Administration lost contact with the plane, CBS News reported. [ 2 ]
- The FAA said it issued a search-and-rescue notice for the jet. [ 1 ]
- The aircraft had been scheduled to land at Boston Logan International Airport, according to CBS News and the New York Post. [ 2 , 8 ]
- The Coast Guard was informed that a jet had lost contact with air traffic controllers, and the FAA notified the Coast Guard. [ 1 , 3 ]
- CBS News reported that a debris field confirmed to belong to the missing aircraft had been found Saturday night, with the search continuing overnight. [ 2 , 3 ]
- The Coast Guard announced Sunday evening it was suspending the search, more than 40 hours after contact was lost. [ 8 , 9 , 12 , 13 ]