A medical aircraft carrying six people has disappeared from radar near the coast of Nantucket, prompting a large-scale search-and-rescue operation in the air and at sea. At this stage, the official U.S. account says contact was lost shortly before arrival in Boston, with no confirmation about the fate of the aircraft.
The flight from Bermuda to Boston was interrupted shortly before landing
The aircraft, a Gulfstream G100, departed from L.F. Wade International Airport in Bermuda bound for Boston Logan at around 00:41 on Saturday.
According to U.S. authorities, contact with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was lost shortly before the scheduled arrival in Boston at 01:25. There were four crew members and two passengers on board.
Radar data show a rapid drop by the aircraft
Data published by FlightAware show that the aircraft experienced a sudden drop within just three minutes, beginning at around 01:04.
The last radar signal, according to those data, was recorded at around 01:23, just minutes before the aircraft was expected to land in Boston. So far, authorities have not provided a public explanation for this development.
FAA and Coast Guard in search operation
The FAA issued the search-and-rescue alert at around 01:20 and, according to the official account, is coordinating the operation with the Rescue Coordination Center and the U.S. Coast Guard.
The Coast Guard was notified at around 02:00 and has deployed several assets in the area. Two of its aircraft, an HC-144 and an MH-60, are searching the airspace south of Nantucket, while a rescue boat and a patrol vessel have also joined the search.
Still no confirmation about the aircraft
As of now, authorities have not confirmed the discovery of the aircraft or any part of it.
A Massport spokesperson, representing the authority that manages Logan Airport, has limited comment to a general expression of concern for those on board and their family members as the search continues.
The case remains unclear, while almost all public information so far has come from official channels and radar data.
For the moment, there are no verified details about the cause of the loss of contact or the aircraft’s location.