New York, Oct 4: Search crews have located a debris field off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts, believed to be from a medical evacuation flight carrying six people that went missing over the Atlantic while travelling from Bermuda to Boston, the US Coast Guard said.
The Canadian-registered air ambulance had four crew members and two passengers on board. The passengers included four Canadian nationals and two Bermudian nationals, according to officials. Authorities said the next of kin had been notified as search and rescue operations continued.
The Gulfstream G100 lost contact with authorities early Saturday after departing from Bermuda’s L.F. Wade International Airport for Massachusetts. The Coast Guard said one of its cutters would continue searching the area.
Air traffic control audio indicated that the pilot had reported electrical problems and declared an emergency shortly before the aircraft disappeared. A controller was heard asking the pilot whether the aircraft was “coming in blind.”
Preliminary flight-tracking data showed that the aircraft descended sharply from around 24,000 feet to approximately 10,000 feet before contact was lost.
Former US Transportation Department Inspector General Mary Schiavo, an aviation attorney, said the aircraft may have experienced a loss of navigation instruments while a storm was moving across its flight path. She said such conditions could potentially cause severe spatial disorientation for the crew.
Transport Canada said it was closely monitoring the situation and working with authorities involved in the search and rescue operation.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said it was gathering information about the incident but had not immediately confirmed whether it would launch an investigation.
Authorities are continuing search operations and investigating the circumstances surrounding the aircraft’s disappearance.
