Coast Guard Suspends Search for Missing Medical Jet Off Nantucket

The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended its search for a medical transport plane and the six people on board after more than 66 hours of operations off the coast of Nantucket. Authorities located debris from the aircraft, but the passengers and crew are presumed dead, according to a statement from the operating company, Latitude Air Ambulance, as reported by The Boston Globe.

Six People Presumed Dead in Atlantic Crash

The missing aircraft, a Gulfstream G100, was carrying a medical patient, a family escort, and a four-person crew. The Coast Guard identified the passengers as two Bermuda nationals and the crew as four Canadian nationals. Latitude Air Ambulance confirmed the loss of its “Heartbeat 104” flight, stating that the team and passengers are presumed to have died following the conclusion of the search and rescue phase.

Rear Adm. Matthew Lake, the Northeast district commander for the U.S. Coast Guard, stated that suspending the search was not an easy decision. He expressed condolences to the affected families and gratitude to the partner agencies involved in the effort.

Pilot Reports Electrical Failures Before Final Descent

The aircraft traveled approximately 800 miles toward Boston Logan International Airport, maintaining an altitude of about 24,000 feet for over an hour. The following timeline details the aircraft’s final moments based on FlightAware data and radio transmissions reported by The Boston Globe and WSVN:

• 12:46 a.m. Saturday: Air traffic controllers in New York attempted to confirm if the pilot was declaring an emergency. The pilot’s response was not audible on recordings captured by LiveATC.net.
• Shortly before 1:00 a.m.: The pilot reported electrical failures.
• 1:04 a.m.: FlightAware data shows the plane descended 13,000 feet within three minutes.
• 1:06 a.m.: With the plane roughly 80 miles south of Nantucket, a Logan International Airport dispatcher directed crews to stage on the runway, noting the aircraft had lost radio and radar contact.
• 1:30 a.m.: Latitude Air Ambulance lost contact with the plane and notified the Coast Guard after the jet failed to land on schedule, according to Latitude Director of Flight Operations Clarence Togeretz.

Coast Guard Searches 4,445 Square Miles for Debris

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a search and rescue alert notice around 1:20 a.m. Saturday. The Coast Guard deployed fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, boats, and cutters to cover approximately 4,445 square miles of what Rear Adm. Lake described as a “large and demanding” area. Capt. John McTamney, chief of response for the Northeast District, noted that weather conditions remained favorable and did not disrupt operations.

On Sunday morning, naval craft equipped with sonar technology were deployed to a debris field where the water depth ranges from 80 to 90 feet. While crews located debris from the jet, they did not find the passengers or crew before the operation was called off.

Latitude Air Ambulance Operated the 1996 Gulfstream G100

The Gulfstream G100 involved in the crash was manufactured in 1996 and has been registered to the Canada-based Latitude Air Ambulance since 2018, according to Canadian government records. The company operates a fleet that includes four Gulfstream G100s, as well as Learjet 35A, Beech 1900-D, and Falcon 900B aircraft. Clarence Togeretz told CNN’s partner CBC that the crew consisted of two pilots and two medical staff members, all of whom were Canadian.

Questions Regarding the Cause of Disappearance

Investigators have not yet determined what caused the Gulfstream G100 to disappear from FAA radar. While the pilot reported electrical failures shortly before the descent, the specific trigger for the crash remains unknown. The investigation into the cause of the accident is ongoing.

Common Questions About the Heartbeat 104 Crash

Who was on board the medical transport flight?
The plane carried six people: a medical patient and a companion (both Bermuda nationals) and a four-person crew consisting of two pilots and two medical staff (all Canadian nationals).

Where exactly did the plane go down?
The aircraft disappeared approximately 20 miles off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts, in waters reaching depths of 80 to 90 feet.

What evidence was found during the search?
The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed that crews located debris from the jet, though no survivors or bodies were recovered before the search was suspended.