US Coast Guard searches for air ambulance carrying 6 people after it goes missing en route to Boston

“You go in blind? Is that what you said?” around 12:46 a.m., a controller asked the pilot: “Are you declaring an emergency or not?” »

The pilot’s response, according to a recording captured by LiveATC.net, was not audible.

The plane, a Gulfstream G100 that took off from Bermuda Friday evening, was carrying a patient and a family member as well as a crew of four.

As the plane approached Nantucket, its pilot reported electrical failures, according to radio transmissions. Data from the FlightAware website shows the plane descended several thousand feet in three minutes.

Shortly after, around 1 a.m., he completely disappeared from radar.

The crew members are Canadian citizens and the passengers are Bermudian nationals, according to Clarence Togeretz, director of operations for Latitude Air Ambulance, the Ontario company that operates the Gulfstream G100.

Steven MacKinnon, the head of Canada’s public transportation agency, declined to identify the people on board the plane. The Bermuda Gazette reported that the two passengers on board were a patient and their son.

In a statement, the Bermudian government said it was in contact with the passengers’ families and US search teams.

“We are praying that all six people will be found safe and sound,” Bermuda Premier David Burt said.

The plane left LF Wade International Airport in Bermuda for an 800-mile flight to Boston at 11:41 p.m. Friday, said Ciara Eve, an airport spokeswoman. Bermuda, a self-governing British territory, is one hour ahead of Eastern Daylight Time.

As the plane descended toward the Atlantic, air traffic controllers asked to confirm whether they were declaring an emergency.

“You’re coming in a little weak, so I didn’t hear what your response was, whether you were declaring an emergency or not,” the air traffic controller said. He later confirmed that the pilot had declared an emergency, but had difficulty reestablishing contact with the plane.

The controller asked the pilot of a second plane if the Gulfstream G100 plane was visible on his collision avoidance system. But the second plane was flying at a much higher altitude and could detect no signs of a jet, the pilot said.

For much of the flight, the Gulfstream jet traveled about 24,000 feet, but around 1:04 a.m., FlightAware data shows the plane descended 13,000 feet in three minutes.

When the plane was about 80 miles south of Nantucket at 1:06 a.m., a Logan International Airport dispatcher ordered crews to the runway for the plane. She said he was due to land in 15 minutes and had lost “radio and radar,” according to radio transmissions captured by Broadcastify.

Emergency crews took position and waited.

At 1:20 a.m., the Federal Aviation Administration issued an alert, an agency spokesperson said. The plane did not want to land at Logan and a search and rescue mission was launched.

On Logan’s runway, the Massport fire commander heard a radio transmission indicating that air traffic control had said they could no longer see the plane on radar.

“I don’t know if you monitored the tower radio, but the tower lost radar contact with this aircraft,” the commander said over the radio around 1:36 a.m.

“Received, I got it. I was listening,” the dispatcher said.

Emergency crews on the runway were ordered to return to their headquarters. At 2 a.m., the FAA alerted the U.S. Coast Guard that the plane was missing.

On Nantucket, police checked the island’s airport for the missing plane, but found nothing, Lt. Angus MacVicar said.

As the sun rose, officers and the harbor captain began scouring Nantucket’s southern shore on ATVs looking for signs of the plane, he said.

Gov. Maura Healey said Saturday that her “thoughts and prayers are with everyone on board and everyone involved.”

“We will do everything we can as a state to support the efforts there and work with the Coast Guard,” Healey said at a union rally in Dorchester.

Globe staff Chris Van Buskirk and John R. Ellement contributed to this report.

Laura Crimaldi can be contacted at laura.crimaldi@globe.com. Follow her @lauracrimaldi. Rita Chandler can be contacted at rita.chandler@globe.com. Camilo Fonseca can be contacted at camilo.fonseca@globe.com. Follow him on @fonseca_esq and on Instagram @camilo_fonseca.reports.