U.S. Coast Guard locates wreckage of missing plane off Nantucket and search for missing passengers underway
NANTUCKET, Mass. —
The Coast Guard located debris that was confirmed to be associated with the missing plane off the coast of Nantucket, the U.S. Coast Guard told NewsCenter 5 Saturday.
The search is still underway to find the six missing passengers who were on board, the coast guard said.
The Gulfstream G-100 aircraft took off from LF Wade International Airport in Bermuda and was heading to Logan International Airport in Boston.
A Massport spokesperson confirmed the plane did not arrive at Logan Airport as planned.
The Bermuda government said it had been in contact with the families of those on board.
“My thoughts are with all passengers and their families during this deeply worrying time,” said Prime Minister David Burt. “We pray that all six people will be found safe and sound, and we thank the search and rescue teams for their continued efforts.”
In a statement from Skyport, the company that manages Wade International Airport, a spokesperson said the plane was a Canadian-registered air ambulance that left its airport for Boston at 12:41 a.m. Saturday.
The company said there were four crew members and two passengers on board. The passengers were heading to Boston to receive medical treatment.
“The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) indicated that air traffic controllers subsequently lost contact with the aircraft off the coast of Nantucket Island, Massachusetts, and a search is currently underway,” the spokesperson said. “Skyport has no further information to provide at this time.”
The Federal Aviation Administration said it issued a search and rescue alert for the plane at 1:20 a.m.
The FAA informed the U.S. Coast Guard that it had lost contact with the plane, which is registered to Canada-based Latitude Air Ambulance. The company confirmed that the missing plane was part of its fleet.
The Coast Guard response includes crews from Cape Cod Air Force Station, a 47-foot motor lifeboat crew from Station Brant Point and the USCGC William Sparling, a quick response cutter.
The search is taking place about 13 nautical miles from the coast and spans about 30 nautical miles wide and 20 nautical miles long, according to the Coast Guard.
WCVB will have more information as it becomes available.
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