Search suspension off Nantucket

The United States Coast Guard suspended its search on Sunday evening for six people aboard a medical transport aircraft that crashed into the ocean off Nantucket Island, Massachusetts. Emergency crews mobilized aircraft, cutters, and helicopters following notification from the Federal Aviation Administration that radar contact had ceased. Search teams covered more than 7,000 kilometers over 66 continuous hours of operations before maritime authorities called off the mission. Although searchers discovered a confirmed debris field from the twin-engine jet on Saturday evening, no survivors were found. Rear Admiral Matthew Lake, commander of the Coast Guard Northeast District, announced the end of the operation and confirmed that the families of those on board had been notified.

Suspending a search is not an easy decision. We express our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones affected by the tragedy and our gratitude for our partner agencies who helped support search efforts.

Flight details and sudden descent

The aircraft, a Gulfstream G100 registered as C-GRJP and operating as flight Heartbeat 104, departed Bermuda's L.F. Wade International Airport late Friday night. The flight was scheduled to land at Boston Logan International Airport at 01:30 EDT on Saturday morning. Aviation authorities lost communication with the plane just after 01:00 EDT as it flew over open waters south of Massachusetts. Tracking data from FlightAware revealed that the aircraft dropped sharply from an altitude of approximately 7,300 meters (24,000 feet) to 3,300 meters (11,000 feet) before all tracking signals ceased. Air traffic control recordings from Boston Logan captured a controller asking if the pilot was declaring an emergency after receiving weak and garbled transmissions.

Presumed losses and company response

Latitude Air Ambulance, a private aeromedical provider based in Hamilton, Canada, confirmed that all six individuals on board are presumed dead. The occupants included four Canadian staff members (two pilots and two medical personnel) and two Bermudian citizens, consisting of a patient and an accompanying family member. Clarence Togeretz, director of flight operations at Latitude, stated that the four crew members had flown to Bermuda specifically to collect the patient and return to North America. Latitude Air Ambulance president Peter Byl addressed the tragedy following the Coast Guard's decision to suspend search operations.

It is an unimaginable loss for our Latitude family and for everyone who loved the six people aboard Heartbeat 104. Our focus now is on supporting their families, supporting our people and assisting the authorities.

Investigation and government coordination

Latitude Air Ambulance maintains a fleet of ten aircraft dedicated to international medical evacuation and patient repatriation services. Transport Canada confirmed it is actively coordinating with United States aviation and maritime agencies to support the investigation into the crash. Canadian Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon announced that federal authorities are working in tandem with the search and recovery teams. Officials at Nantucket Memorial Airport noted that the aircraft had declared an emergency prior to disappearing from tracking displays, though authorities continue examining audio logs and telemetry data to clarify the sequence of events.