Six passengers presumed dead after medical transport plane goes missing off US coast

Six people aboard a medical transport aircraft that went missing on Saturday while traveling from Bermuda to Boston are presumed dead, according to a statement from the flight's operator, Latitude Air Ambulance. The aircraft, a Gulfstream G-100, lost contact with the Federal Aviation Administration just after 01:00 local time (05:00 GMT) on Saturday morning. The United States Coast Guard announced on Sunday evening that it was ending its search for survivors off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts. Latitude Air Ambulance confirmed that the four members of its team, a patient, and a family escort are presumed to have died. The plane departed from Bermuda's L.F. Wade International Airport at 23:40 local time on Friday night and was scheduled to land at Boston's Logan International at 01:30 EDT (05:30 GMT). Authorities located a debris field confirmed to be from the aircraft on Saturday evening. Flight data shows that the aircraft significantly dropped in altitude before communications ceased, descending from approximately 7,300 meters (24,000 feet) to 3,300 meters (11,000 feet). Radio transmissions indicated communication issues between the air traffic controller and the pilot, who later declared an emergency. Latitude Air Ambulance stated it would cooperate with authorities during ongoing recovery efforts and investigations, emphasizing that determining the circumstances and cause of an aviation accident is a careful process.