Nantucket (HRNW)- A Canadian-registered Gulfstream G100 medical transport aircraft carrying six people has gone missing over the Atlantic while flying from Bermuda to Boston, prompting a search-and-rescue operation by the US Coast Guard off the coast of Massachusetts.
The aircraft was traveling from L.F. Wade International Airport in Bermuda to Boston Logan International Airport when contact was lost early Saturday. The US Coast Guard said the Federal Aviation Administration notified it after communications with the aircraft were interrupted.
According to air traffic control communications cited by AP, the pilot reported electrical problems and declared an emergency while approaching the Massachusetts coast. The aircraft reportedly descended sharply from about 24,000 feet to 10,000 feet as it encountered a storm near Nantucket before contact was lost.
The Coast Guard has launched air and sea search operations in waters off Nantucket. Authorities are working to determine the aircraft’s last known position and locate the six people aboard. Canada has also said it is coordinating with US authorities because four of those on board were Canadian nationals.
The flight was operating as a medical evacuation mission. Details regarding the condition of the patient and the identities of those aboard had not immediately been released as the search continued.
The cause of the aircraft’s disappearance remains under investigation. Authorities are examining the reported electrical problems, weather conditions, radar data and the aircraft’s final communications to determine what happened before contact was lost.
The incident has drawn a major emergency response in the waters near Nantucket, Massachusetts, with officials continuing efforts to locate the aircraft and determine the status of everyone on board.
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