Medical Gulfstream G-100 Missing Near Nantucket, Coast Guard Says
The U.S. Coast Guard said Saturday that crews had found debris from a missing medical transport aircraft and would search the waters off Massachusetts overnight for the six people aboard.
The debris was discovered off Nantucket and confirmed to have come from the missing Gulfstream G-100, according to the Coast Guard.
The Federal Aviation Administration notified the Coast Guard that air traffic controllers lost contact with the aircraft at about 2 a.m. Saturday while it was traveling from Bermuda to Boston.
Four Canadians and two Bermudians were aboard the plane.
The Bermuda Skyport Corporation, operator of LF Wade International Airport, said the Canadian-registered aircraft departed the airport at approximately 12:41 a.m. Saturday with four crew members and two passengers on board.
Air traffic audio obtained by ABC News indicates that the air ambulance was communicating with New York controllers when its crew declared an emergency.
The controller repeatedly asked the pilots to repeat their transmissions, including their altitude, because the communications were difficult to hear, according to the audio.
The Coast Guard conducted an extensive air and sea search in the area around Nantucket throughout Saturday.
In a Saturday night update, the agency said the Coast Guard Cutter William Sparling would continue searching overnight. Officials planned to hold a news conference Sunday with additional details on the operation.
A source familiar with the investigation told ABC News that the aircraft is believed to have plunged 7,500 feet rapidly before striking the water.
