Chilling update after plane with six on board vanishes off US coast

A chilling update has been issued after a medical transport aircraft with six on board suddenly went missing over the weekend, sparking a major search.

The plane had departed from Bermuda's L.F. Wade International Airport at 11.40pm local time on Friday (2 October), according to flight data from FlightAware.

The Latitude Air Ambulance aircraft had been due to land at Boston's Logan International airport at 1.30am, but never made it. Four Canadian nationals and two Bermudian nationals were onboard.

Two pilots and two medical staff had flown to Bermuda to collect a patient and their relative.

The aircraft, a Gulfstream G100 instead vanished off the US coast. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) notified the Coast Guard that it had lost contact with the aircraft.

The flight path showed where the aircraft was last recorded location before it vanished.

It indicated the jet was flying at around 24,000ft before descending 13,000ft in about two minutes shortly before the flight controllers then lost contact.

The pilot had reportedly declared an emergency and reported electrical problems as the aircraft approached the coast.

The audio, since shared by LiveATC.net, had indicated that the pilot may have been 'coming in blind' when a storm loomed ahead shortly before it vanished.

A major search was launched in an area off the coast of Nantucket, before the Coastguard said a 'debris field' was found, which is an area where scattered pieces, fragments, or wreckage from a destroyed object or structure are found.

Chilling update on 'heartbreaking reality'

The six people on board the medical aircraft are now presumed dead, according to a new statement from the flight's operator.

On Sunday evening (4 October), the United States Coast Guard announced it was ending its search for survivors off the coast of the Massachusetts island.

"The Coast Guard has suspended the search for the people aboard the medical transport aircraft that went missing around 2 a.m. Saturday, as of sunset, after continuous searching by the Coast Guard and partner agencies," a statement posted on X read.

"We express our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones."

Latitude Air Ambulance meanwhile issued a statement on the 'heartbreaking reality' of the situation, explaining: "We must now face the heartbreaking reality that the four members of our Latitude team, our patient and the patient's family escort, who were aboard Heartbeat 104, are presumed to have died.

"Our thoughts are first and foremost with their families, loved ones, friends, and colleagues."

Peter Byl, President of Latitude Air Ambulance added: "This is an unimaginable loss for our Latitude family and for everyone who loved the six people aboard Heartbeat 104.

"Our focus now is on supporting their families, supporting our people and assisting the authorities.

"We will honour our colleagues by remembering the care, professionalism, and commitment they brought to their work every day."

Latitude said in its statement that it would continue to cooperate with authorities amid ongoing recovery efforts and investigations into what happened.

"Determining the circumstances and cause of an aviation accident is a careful and methodical process, and we will not speculate about what occurred," the company said.