The US Coast Guard has decided to halt its search for a medical transfer plane that vanished near Nantucket over the weekend. This decision came after authorities found debris from the aircraft floating in the waters close to the Massachusetts island.
On Sunday evening, the Coast Guard made this tough choice over 40 hours after the Gulfstream G100 twinjet, which was carrying six passengers from Bermuda, lost contact with the Federal Aviation Administration. The plane was meant to land in Boston around 1:30 a.m.
“Suspending a search is not an easy decision,” Rear Adm. Matthew Lake, Commander of the Northeast District, mentioned in a statement.
He went on to express heartfelt condolences to the families of those affected by this unfortunate incident and thanked partner agencies that assisted with the search efforts.
On board were six individuals: four Canadians, which included two medics and two pilots, along with a patient from Bermuda and their relative, as reported by the Coast Guard and Latitude Air Ambulance, the plane’s owner.
The air ambulance was en route from Bermuda’s L.F. Wade International Airport to Boston Logan International Airport when it disappeared from FAA radar just before its expected landing, officials stated.
FlightAware data indicated that the missing plane dropped from 24,000 feet to 11,000 feet within a span of three minutes, shortly before it lost contact. Audio recordings captured the last unclear communications between the plane and air traffic controllers, suggesting a possible emergency declaration before abruptly cutting off.
After reviewing debris discovered in the ocean on Saturday night, the Coast Guard decided to call off the search the following day. Authorities have confirmed that the next of kin for the missing passengers have been informed about the end of the search, and an investigation will be launched to determine what transpired with the plane.
