The aircraft descended at 4,000 feet per minute—far faster than normal—in its final moments before vanishing from radar around 1 a.m., according to flight-tracking data cited by Robert Katz, a commercial pilot with 44 years of experience. Air traffic controllers in New York were struggling to reach the pilot as the jet approached Nantucket, with one controller asking at 12:46 a.m., "You're coming in blind? Is that what you said? Are you declaring an emergency, or no?" The pilot's response was inaudible.
The six people on board—a patient, a family member, and a four-person crew—remain unaccounted for. The crew members are Canadian citizens and the passengers are Bermudian nationals, according to Clarence Togeretz, operations manager for Latitude Air Ambulance in Ontario, which operates the aircraft. The Bermuda Gazette reported that the two passengers were a patient and their son.
The Gulfstream G100 took off from Bermuda at 11:41 p.m. ET on Friday and reported electrical failures as it approached Nantucket, according to radio transmissions. The FAA lost contact with the aircraft early Saturday and issued a Search and Rescue Alert Notice at 1:20 a.m. ET. Coast Guard boats, planes, and helicopters launched an immediate search, and crews located a debris field confirmed to be associated with the missing flight. The Coast Guard cutter William Sparling continued search efforts through the night, with additional aircraft from Air Station Cape Cod deployed to assist.