The U.S. Coast Guard launched a sweeping search south of Nantucket early Saturday after a Gulfstream G100 medical transport jet carrying six people disappeared en route from Bermuda to Boston. The jet, operated by Latitude Air Ambulance, lost contact with controllers around 2 a.m. while approaching the Massachusetts coast.
Latitude Air Ambulance specializes in international medical evacuations. Clarence Togeretz, the company’s director of flight operations, said the crew had not reported in as scheduled. He stressed that while the situation was serious, there was still no confirmation of a crash. The company operates several Gulfstream G100 jets, all outfitted for critical-care missions.
The Coast Guard deployed aircraft and vessels to comb the waters roughly 13 nautical miles south of Nantucket. Crews from Station Brant Point joined the effort, scanning the Atlantic for any sign of wreckage or survivors. The search zone lies along a busy route for transatlantic flights, but no evidence has surfaced.
This disappearance follows a string of recent tragedies involving medical aircraft. Just days earlier, a REACH Air Medical Services helicopter went down off Catalina Island in California, killing three people and injuring two others. That crash highlighted the dangers faced by crews who fly patients across long distances and unpredictable conditions.
The missing Gulfstream had departed Bermuda’s L.F. Wade International Airport late Friday night. It was bound for Boston Logan International Airport when contact was lost. Authorities have not yet released the identities of those aboard, but the flight was confirmed to be a medical evacuation mission.
The Gulfstream G100 is a twin-engine business jet often used for patient repatriation. Its speed and range make it a favored choice for international medical transport. Still, the sudden silence from the cockpit has left investigators searching for answers. Weather, mechanical failure, or other factors could have played a role.
As of Saturday morning, the Coast Guard search continued without results. Nantucket, a small island south of Cape Cod, has become the center of attention as crews scour the Atlantic. Families of those aboard wait for word, hoping the search will bring clarity to a mystery that has shaken the medical aviation community.
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