Air ambulance disappears during Bermuda-to-Boston flight
A Canadian-registered air ambulance carrying four crew members and two passengers went missing after departing Bermuda for Boston. Controllers lost contact near Nantucket after the aircraft descended rapidly and declared an emergency. US and Canadian authorities began search efforts, while officials in Bermuda said they were supporting families and hoped all six people would be found safe.
An air ambulance carrying six people went missing during an overnight flight from Bermuda to Boston, prompting a search by US authorities near Nantucket. The Canadian-registered Gulfstream jet had four crew members and two passengers aboard when it departed LF Wade International Airport in Bermuda at 12:41am local time, according to the airport operator, Skyport. The US Federal Aviation Administration told the coastguard it had lost contact with the aircraft.
The coastguard dispatched air and surface crews to search near Nantucket, an island community south of mainland Massachusetts. Flight-tracking data indicated that the aircraft had travelled at about 24,000 feet before descending 13,000 feet in approximately two minutes shortly before contact was lost. Air-traffic-control audio published by LiveATC.net captured a controller asking whether the pilot was “coming in blind”.
The controller later confirmed that the pilot had declared an emergency. The National Transportation Safety Board said it was gathering information but had no further update at the time of the report. Canada’s transport minister, Steven MacKinnon, said four Canadians were aboard and that officials were monitoring the situation with the relevant authorities.
Bermuda Premier David Burt said the government was in contact with US authorities and the passengers’ families. He expressed hope that all six people would be found safe. The aircraft was operated by Latitude Air Ambulance, which is based in Ontario and provides medical evacuation services.
The company had not immediately responded to a request for comment.
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