The Coast Guard halted the search for six people on a Latitude Air Ambulance Gulfstream that went down off Nantucket. The operator said the four crew, a patient and an escort are presumed dead.
The US Coast Guard has suspended the search for six people who were aboard a medical transport jet that crashed off Nantucket, Massachusetts.
Reuters reported that four Canadians and two citizens of Bermuda were on the aircraft, which was headed for Boston Logan International Airport. NBC Boston said the Coast Guard searched more than 4,400 miles over 66 hours. The FAA contacted the Coast Guard at 2 a.m. Saturday after losing contact with the Gulfstream G100. Searchers later found a debris field off Nantucket.
The aircraft, registered to Canadian operator Latitude Air Ambulance, left Bermuda at 12:41 a.m. Saturday, Reuters said, citing FlightAware. Boston 25 posted audio of a Logan controller asking the pilot whether he was declaring an emergency. There was no response. Skyport, the Bermuda airport operator, said the jet carried four crew and two passengers.
Rear Admiral Matthew Lake, commander of the Coast Guard Northeast District, said suspending a search is not an easy decision and offered condolences to the families. Latitude said that, with the search-and-rescue phase concluded, the four members of its team, the patient and the patient's family escort aboard Heartbeat 104 are presumed to have died.
The search suspension ends the rescue phase. Investigators have not published a cause.
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- Rear Admiral Matthew Lake said suspending a search is not an easy decision
- Latitude said the six people aboard are presumed to have died