Medical plane carrying six vanishes off Massachusetts coast
A medical plane bound for Boston with six people aboard disappeared early Saturday, triggering an air and sea search off Nantucket.
US authorities are searching for six people who were aboard a medical aircraft that went missing early Saturday morning while flying toward Boston, Massachusetts. The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed it lost contact with the Gulfstream G-100 jet, issuing a search and rescue alert shortly after 1:00am local time (6:00 GMT).
Search focused near Nantucket
The US Coast Guard's Northeast District said an air and water search is now underway off the coast of Nantucket, a Massachusetts island. Flight-tracking data from FlightAware shows the plane left Bermuda's L.F. Wade International Airport at 11:40pm local time and had been due to land at Boston's Logan International Airport at 1:30am Eastern time (6:30 GMT).
Aircraft linked to air ambulance firm
Using the tail number released by the Coast Guard, the plane has been identified as belonging to Latitude Air Ambulances, a company that operates international medical flights to bring patients home. According to FlightAware's tracking records, the aircraft lost significant altitude shortly before its communications went dark, dropping from roughly 7,300 metres (24,000ft) to about 3,300 metres (11,000ft). No further details on the cause of the incident or the condition of those aboard have yet been released, and the search operation continues.
