In the early hours of Saturday, a Gulfstream G-100 configured as an air ambulance vanished while crossing the Atlantic from Bermuda to Boston. The aircraft, operated by Latitude Air Ambulance of Ontario, was carrying a patient, a family member, two pilots and two medical crew members. Contact with the jet was lost shortly after 01:00 a.m. local time, prompting the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to issue an emergency alert and the U.S. Coast Guard to launch a multi-agency search.
Authorities confirmed that the six occupants were four Canadians—two pilots and two medical staff—and two Bermudian nationals, the patient and a relative. The flight departed Bermuda’s L.F. Wade International Airport at 23:40 local time, aiming for Logan International Airport in Boston with an estimated arrival of 01:30 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time. Shortly before the disappearance, the jet’s altitude dropped dramatically, and the crew reported electrical problems.
Timeline of the ill-fated flight
Flight-tracking data from FlightAware show the aircraft cruising at roughly 7,300 m (24,000 ft) when, within a three-minute window, it descended to about 3,300 m (11,000 ft). At approximately 12:46 a.m., air-traffic control (ATC) in Boston asked the pilot, “You’re coming in blind? Are you declaring an emergency, or no?” The pilot’s reply was not captured, but ATC later confirmed that an emergency declaration had been made. Communications then grew weak, and the jet vanished from radar near the southern coast of Nantucket.
Air-traffic control exchange
The recorded conversation, obtained from live ATC feeds, indicates that the controller struggled to hear the cockpit, noting, “You’re coming in a little weak so I didn’t hear what your response was, if you were declaring an emergency or not.” A subsequent dispatcher at Logan International reported that the aircraft had lost both radio and radar capabilities, prompting emergency crews to stand by on the runway until the plane failed to appear.
Search effort and discovery of wreckage
Within minutes of the loss of contact, the Coast Guard’s northeast district deployed a fleet of helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft and surface vessels to sweep an area of roughly one hundred square miles around the last known position. By Saturday night, search teams announced the location of a debris field off the coast of Nantucket, which the Coast Guard confirmed was “associated” with the missing jet using precise aircraft data supplied by other agencies. The nature of the debris was not immediately disclosed, but its identification provides a tangible reference point for rescuers.
Ground crews and local police also inspected Nantucket Memorial Airport and the island’s shoreline, employing ATVs and volunteers to comb the beaches at first light. Despite the challenging weather conditions typical of the region, the coordinated effort continued through the night, with five air and marine assets remaining active as of the morning update.
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey expressed her “thoughts and prayers” for everyone on board and pledged state assistance to the Coast Guard’s operation. Bermuda’s premier, David Burt, echoed the sentiment, emphasizing that families were being contacted and that the island government was in close communication with U.S. search teams. Global Affairs Canada announced that consular officials stand ready to help the Canadian families, while Canadian transportation officials declined to name the passengers.
Latitude Air Ambulance confirmed that the flight had been dispatched to retrieve a patient from Bermuda and transport them home, and that the crew had declared an emergency before all communications were lost. Aviation experts suggest that the focused search pattern, guided by the aircraft’s emergency locator transmitter, should enable rescuers to locate the wreckage relatively quickly, though no definitive timeline has been provided.
The investigation will likely examine the reported electrical failure, the rapid altitude loss, and the loss of both radio and radar signals. For now, families await news, and search crews remain vigilant as they sift through the debris field in hopes of determining the aircraft’s final moments.
