Photo: JOSEPH PREZIOSO / AFP / Getty Images
The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended its search for six people aboard a medical plane that vanished off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts, on Saturday (October 3). The Boston-bound Gulfstream G100, operated by Latitude Air Ambulance, disappeared during a flight from Bermuda, prompting an extensive search that covered approximately 4,500 square miles.
The plane, carrying four Canadians and two Bermudian nationals, lost contact with air traffic controllers around 2 a.m. The Federal Aviation Administration reported that the aircraft was "coming in blind" due to electrical issues and declared an emergency shortly before it vanished. A debris field was later discovered about 20 miles off Nantucket, according to the Coast Guard.
Rear Adm. Matthew Lake, commander of the Coast Guard's northeast district, expressed condolences to the families affected by the tragedy. "Suspending a search is not an easy decision," he said in a statement, acknowledging the efforts of partner agencies involved in the search.
The plane reportedly encountered a storm, and preliminary data from FlightRadar24 indicated a sharp descent from 24,000 feet to 10,000 feet. Aviation attorney Mary Schiavo suggested that the plane may have lost its navigational instruments, leading to disorientation.
The National Transportation Safety Board is gathering information about the incident, but it has not yet announced whether it will conduct a formal investigation.
For more details, visit the Washington Examiner and KTXS.