Medical Jet with 6 Aboard Missing Off Massachusetts Coast

A Gulfstream G100 medical evacuation aircraft operated by Latitude Air Ambulance, a Canadian company, lost contact early Saturday during a flight from Bermuda's L.F. Wade International Airport to Boston Logan International Airport. The Federal Aviation Administration notified the U.S. Coast Guard at approximately 2 a.m. Eastern Time that contact had been lost with the aircraft, tail number C-GRJP. The plane was carrying two pilots, two medical staff members, a patient, and a family member.

The U.S. Coast Guard immediately launched a search and rescue operation off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts. Resources deployed included crews from the HC-144 Ocean Sentry and HC-130 Hercules aircraft, an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter, a 47-foot rescue boat from Brant Point Station, and the Coast Guard patrol ship William Sparling. Boston air traffic control audio obtained by NBC News showed controllers attempting to confirm the jet's approach and requesting another aircraft to try establishing contact, though it remains unclear whether communication was successfully re-established.

According to media reports, four crew members aboard—the two pilots and two medical staff—are Canadian nationals. The nationalities of the patient and accompanying family member have not been disclosed. The Canadian Federal Minister of Transport, Steven MacKinnon, stated that Canada is "monitoring closely" the situation and coordinating with U.S. authorities. The Bermuda government also issued a statement, with Prime Minister David Burt saying he is in contact with the families of passengers and crew members and expressing hope that all six people will be found safely.

Latitude Air Ambulance operates a fleet of 10 aircraft providing medical repatriation and evacuation services worldwide. The nearly two-hour flight was scheduled as a late-night operation. The cause of the loss of contact and the exact location of the aircraft have not been determined. The FAA issued a search and rescue alert at 1:20 a.m. Eastern Time and is coordinating the operation with the Coast Guard and the Rescue Coordination Center.