US Coast Guard ends search for medical plane off Nantucket; six presumed dead
In short
The US Coast Guard said late on Oct 4 local time that it had stopped searching for a medical aircraft that went down in waters near Nantucket Island, Massachusetts. The Canada-based medical transport company that operated the plane said all six people on board are presumed dead. The flight from Bermuda to Boston disappeared from radar shortly before its scheduled landing in the early hours of Oct 3, and US media reported a possible electrical failure.
Read the full story 1 min read
The US Coast Guard said late on Oct 4 local time that it had stopped search-and-rescue operations for a medical aircraft that crashed in waters near Nantucket Island, Massachusetts, Yicai, Jiemian and China News Service reported. The Canada-based medical transport company that operated the plane said in a statement that all six people on board are presumed dead, according to the same reports. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
The aircraft was carrying four Canadians and two Bermudian citizens — a patient and a family member of the patient, according to Yicai and Jiemian. It was scheduled to fly from Bermuda's L.F. Wade International Airport to Boston Logan International Airport. It disappeared from radar shortly before its scheduled landing in the early hours of Oct 3; China News Service put the time at 01:25 local time and said the aircraft vanished from US Federal Aviation Administration radar. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
US media reported that the aircraft may have suffered an electrical failure that disabled its navigation, leaving it in what was described as “blind flying”, the outlets said. The Coast Guard said it had found debris and confirmed it was related to the missing aircraft. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Xinhua's headline said the Coast Guard had suspended the search for those on board, while Yicai, Jiemian and China News Service said operations had been stopped. None of the reports named the operating company, gave the names of those on board, or cited an official finding on what caused the crash. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Why it matters
The halt to search-and-rescue operations means the six people on board are no longer expected to be found alive, and it closes the immediate emergency response to an accident that involved Canadian and Bermudian nationals as well as a US destination airport. The documents give no official finding on the cause, so questions about the aircraft's electrical system and about medical transport safety remain open. The reports carry no indication of wider consequences beyond the accident itself.
Key facts
- The US Coast Guard said late on Oct 4 local time that it had stopped search-and-rescue operations for a medical aircraft that crashed in waters near Nantucket Island, Massachusetts. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The Canada-based medical transport company that operated the aircraft said in a statement that all six people on board are presumed dead. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Four Canadians and two Bermudian citizens — a patient and a family member of the patient — were on board, according to Yicai and Jiemian. [ 1 , 3 ]
- The flight was scheduled to go from Bermuda's L.F. Wade International Airport to Boston Logan International Airport. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The aircraft disappeared from radar shortly before its scheduled landing in the early hours of Oct 3; China News Service put the time at 01:25 local time and said it left US Federal Aviation Administration radar. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- US media reported that the aircraft may have suffered an electrical failure that disabled navigation, leaving it in what was described as “blind flying”. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The Coast Guard said debris had been found and confirmed as related to the missing aircraft. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Xinhua's headline said the Coast Guard had suspended the search for those on board. [ 4 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- The US Coast Guard said it stopped search-and-rescue operations for the medical aircraft that crashed near Nantucket Island, Massachusetts. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The aircraft's Canada-based medical transport operator said all six people on board are presumed dead. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The flight was planned from Bermuda's L.F. Wade International Airport to Boston Logan International Airport. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The Coast Guard said it found debris and confirmed it was related to the missing aircraft. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- Which company operated the aircraft Yicai, Jiemian and China News Service described it only as a Canada-based medical transport service and did not name it.
- The cause of the crash An electrical failure leading to loss of navigation was attributed by the outlets to US media reports, with no official finding cited in the documents.
- Whether search operations have ended permanently or been suspended Yicai, Jiemian and China News Service said the search was stopped, while Xinhua's headline said it was suspended; the documents do not say whether it could resume.
- The identities of the six people on board The documents give only nationalities — four Canadians and two Bermudian citizens described as a patient and a family member — and no names.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- The aircraft disappears from US Federal Aviation Administration radar shortly before its scheduled landing time in the early hours of Oct 3, according to China News Service. [ 2 ]
- Yicai reports that the US Coast Guard has stopped the search and rescue and that the aircraft's Canadian operator says all six on board are presumed dead. [ 1 ]
- Xinhua publishes a headline saying the US Coast Guard has suspended the search for those on board. [ 4 ]