A plane carrying six people has gone missing while travelling from Bermuda to Boston, prompting a US Coast Guard search near Nantucket, Massachusetts.
The Gulfstream aircraft, operated by Latitude Air Ambulance, was carrying out a medical evacuation from Bermuda when contact was lost early on Saturday, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Search launched near Nantucket
Coast Guard crews began searching at about 6am, with teams from Cape Cod, Brant Point and William Sparling involved in the operation. Aircraft and boats are assisting in the search.
FlightAware data indicated the plane descended to about 11,000ft from roughly 25,000ft shortly after 1am. Its final signal was recorded at around 1.30am, shortly before it was due to land in Boston.
Clarence Togeretz, Latitude’s director of flight operations, said the crew had been conducting a medical evacuation in Bermuda.
“We always get rather concerned when our crew doesn’t report to us in a timely manner,” he said. “But I will say that again, optimistically and positively, that doesn’t mean that the worst has happened.”
Latitude’s aircraft typically operate with two pilots, a nurse and a respiratory therapist, with a doctor sometimes also on board. It was not immediately clear who the six people on the missing plane were.
Latitude was launched in 2009 and provides flights transporting patients to hospitals and back to their home countries. The Canadian company has a fleet of ten aircraft, including four Gulfstream G100s.
