Missing Air Ambulance: The Critical Questions Surrounding the Search for Jet C-GRJP
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A medical flight with a Canadian crew vanished en route from Bermuda to Boston. Here is what we know about the disappearance and the search efforts currently underway.
Q: What happened to the missing aircraft?
A: A Gulfstream G100 air ambulance jet, identified as C-GRJP, went missing early Saturday while flying from Bermuda to Boston. According to reporting from CBC, the aircraft was operated by Latitude Air Ambulance, a company based in Hamilton, Ontario. The jet lost contact around 1:30 a.m. ET as it approached Boston, according to Clarence Togeretz, the operations manager for Latitude Air Ambulance, as reported by CityNews Toronto.
Q: Who was on board the aircraft?
A: There were six people on board. CityNews Toronto reports that the group included two Canadian pilots and two Canadian medical workers, along with one patient and a relative of the patient. Togeretz specified that the two passengers are Bermuda nationals.
Q: Where is the search currently focused?
A: The U.S. Coast Guard is conducting search operations off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts. CBC reports that air and surface crews are searching an area of approximately 100 square miles. CityNews Toronto notes the search assets include a cutter, a helicopter, two planes, and a search and rescue lifeboat.
Q: What does the flight data reveal about the moments before the plane vanished?
A: Based on flight tracking data reported by CBC, the jet departed Hamilton, Ontario, at 7:10 p.m. ET Friday and landed in Bermuda at 9:28 p.m. ET. It departed Bermuda for Boston at 11:41 p.m. ET. At approximately 1 a.m. ET Saturday, FlightAware data showed the jet drop from 24,000 feet to 11,000 feet before stabilizing. The Federal Aviation Administration issued a search and rescue alert notice at 1:20 a.m. ET.
Q: Was there any distress signal sent by the crew?
A: According to a statement from Preston Harimon, a spokesperson for Nantucket Memorial Airport, the airport was informed that the aircraft had reportedly declared an emergency before contact was lost. However, Harimon noted that details regarding the circumstances remain unconfirmed.
Q: Which government agencies are involved in the response?
A: Multiple agencies are coordinating. The U.S. Coast Guard is leading the search, and the Federal Aviation Administration was involved in the initial alert. Global Affairs Canada stated it is standing by to provide consular assistance, and Federal Transportation Minister Steven MacKinnon said he is monitoring the situation and working with relevant authorities. The Government of Bermuda has also confirmed the aircraft's disappearance.
Q: Is this a common occurrence for the operator?
A: No. In a statement to CityNews Toronto, Clarence Togeretz noted that Latitude Air Ambulance has never lost contact with one of its aircraft until now.
Q: What is the outlook for finding the plane?
A: John Gradek, a faculty lecturer in aviation management at McGill University, told CBC that the U.S. Coast Guard has likely utilized a tight search pattern based on the last reported position from the aircraft's emergency locator transmitter. Gradek stated he expects the Coast Guard to locate the aircraft and resolve its state fairly quickly.