Search Suspended After Air Ambulance Jet Crashes Off Nantucket With Six Aboard
The air evacuation jet, operated by Canada-based Latitude Air Ambulance, vanished from radar about 2 a.m. Saturday off Nantucket, Massachusetts, carrying four crew members, a patient, and a family escort, NBC News reported.
Rescue teams comprising the Coast Guard, Massachusetts authorities, and the New York National Guard’s air rescue wing combed the waters for 66 hours using fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, boats, and cutters. Rear Adm. Matthew Lake, commander of the Coast Guard’s Northeast District, announced the suspension of active search-and-rescue operations during a news conference, confirming that recovery efforts would follow.
Heartbreaking Reality Faced By Latitude Air Ambulance Team
Latitude Air Ambulance issued a statement Sunday night addressing the tragedy of flight Heartbeat 104. The company stated it is facing the heartbreaking reality that all six occupants are presumed dead. The flight carried four Canadian crew members and two Bermudian nationals, identified by a source familiar with the matter to NBC News as a patient and her son. The Bermudian government confirmed Saturday that it was in contact with the families of those on board.
They dedicated themselves to providing care to people at some of the most difficult moments in their lives, and they were carrying out that mission when this tragedy occurred,
Latitude Air Ambulance stated. The company provides private flights for sick or injured patients, utilizing aircraft equipped to carry full intensive care unit medical equipment and supplies.
Rapid Descent Detected Over the Atlantic Ocean
Air traffic controllers lost contact with the Gulfstream G100 twin-engine jet early Saturday as it flew a scheduled route from Bermuda to Boston. FlightAware tracking data shows the aircraft took off from L.F. Wade International Airport in Bermuda at approximately 12:40 a.m. Saturday and was due to land at Boston Logan International Airport just before 1:30 a.m. The total flight time was scheduled for less than two hours across the roughly 775-mile distance.
At around 1:05 a.m., tracking data indicates the jet dropped rapidly from 24,000 feet to 11,000 feet over the ocean. Audio obtained by NBC News reveals an air traffic controller asking the flight crew whether it was declaring an emergency and coming in blind.
Coast Guard searchers subsequently discovered a debris field approximately 20 miles off Nantucket Island.
Authorities have not speculated on the exact cause of the crash. Rear Adm. Lake declined to release the names or ages of the passengers out of respect for their families. Investigators will likely attempt to locate the aircraft’s flight recorder, or black box, though Lake noted that extensive debris distribution makes the recovery task difficult.
Investigation Plans and Regulatory Oversight Ahead
Federal authorities plan to conduct a thorough inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the loss of the Gulfstream G100 jet. The National Transportation Safety Board is slated to lead an investigation into the crash, alongside a potential probe by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada. Latitude Air Ambulance stated it will cooperate fully with both agencies while offering support services to the grieving families of its crew members.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Nantucket Plane Crash
What types of aircraft and personnel were assigned to the flight?
According to Latitude Air Ambulance documentation, typical flights are staffed by two pilots and two medical crew members, carrying a patient and an escort. The crashed Gulfstream G100 jet was specifically equipped with full ICU medical gear.
Which international agencies participated in the emergency response?
The search effort involved the U.S. Coast Guard, Massachusetts state authorities, the New York National Guard’s air rescue wing, and coordination with Canadian and Bermudian officials.
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