Coast Guard Searches for Missing Jet Off Nantucket

The missing jet Nantucket search entered its first full day Saturday as the US Coast Guard scoured waters south of the Massachusetts island for a Gulfstream G100 medical transfer aircraft carrying six people from Bermuda to Boston.

The Federal Aviation Administration issued a search and rescue alert notice at about 1:20 a.m. local time on Saturday, October 3, after air traffic controllers lost contact with the aircraft, the FAA told USA TODAY and the New York Post. The Coast Guard’s Northeast District said air and surface crews launched immediately.

No wreckage had been publicly confirmed by midday Saturday, and authorities had not released information about the condition of the six people aboard. This article summarizes what officials have confirmed and what remains unknown.

Missing Jet Nantucket: Confirmed Timeline

The aircraft departed L.F. Wade International Airport in Bermuda at approximately 12:41 a.m. on October 3, according to Skyport, which operates the Bermuda airport, and flight-tracking data cited by multiple outlets. It was headed to Boston Logan International Airport, with an expected arrival around 1:25 to 1:30 a.m.

FlightAware data reported by the New York Post indicated the flight descended from 23,500 feet to 11,000 feet in about three minutes starting at 1:04 a.m. The final radar contact came at about 1:23 a.m., shortly before the scheduled landing time. The Coast Guard said the FAA notified its command center at approximately 2 a.m. that contact had been lost.

• Aircraft: Gulfstream G100, tail number C-GRJP
• Route: Bermuda (L.F. Wade) to Boston Logan
• People aboard: six — four crew and two passengers, per Skyport
• Last contact: early Saturday, off the coast of Nantucket
• Operator: described as a medical transfer / air ambulance flight

The Royal Gazette in Bermuda reported the aircraft was Canadian-registered and operated as an air ambulance. Times Now and other outlets identified the operator as Latitude Air Ambulance, based in Hamilton, Ontario, operating under callsign HTT104. Officials have not publicly confirmed the operator name in US statements, so that detail should be treated as reported rather than confirmed.

How the Search Is Being Conducted

The Coast Guard said the current search area is offshore of Nantucket. Assets responding include HC-144 and MH-60 aircraft from Air Station Cape Cod, a 47-foot Motor Lifeboat crew from Station Brant Point on Nantucket, and the Fast Response Cutter USCGC William Sparling, according to Coast Guard statements shared with Bernews and PEOPLE.

Two Coast Guard aircraft were observed conducting searches just south of Nantucket on FlightRadar24 on Saturday morning, the New York Post reported. Weather conditions in Nantucket were clear as of Saturday morning, according to AccuWeather reporting cited by Reuters, which aids both aerial visual searches and surface operations.

Massport, which operates Boston Logan, said in a statement that its thoughts are with those on board and their loved ones as the search continues.

What Search Crews Look For

In an overwater search, crews look for debris fields, emergency locator transmitter signals, life rafts, and any surface oil or wreckage pattern that can narrow a drift model. The last known radar position gives investigators a starting point, but wind and currents move floating objects, so search patterns expand over time.

The rapid descent reported in flight-tracking data will be a focus for investigators, but tracking data alone does not establish what happened. There has been no official confirmation that the aircraft crashed, and no cause has been suggested by the FAA, the Coast Guard, or the National Transportation Safety Board in public statements so far.

What We Do Not Know Yet

Several basic facts remain unconfirmed in public reporting as of Saturday afternoon. Authorities have not released the names of the six people aboard, the medical condition of any patient being transferred, or whether an emergency was declared before contact was lost.

It is also not yet clear whether the aircraft’s emergency locator transmitter activated, whether any debris has been recovered, or how large the search area will grow if the first day’s patterns find nothing. The Coast Guard has said updates will be provided as information becomes available, through its Northeast District channels.

Because the flight originated in Bermuda and the aircraft is Canadian-registered, any eventual investigation could involve multiple agencies. Typically, the NTSB leads investigations of accidents in US airspace and waters, with participation from the FAA, the aircraft operator, and foreign authorities where registration or origin requires it. No investigative lead has been publicly announced while the operation remains a search.

What Happens Next

The immediate priority is locating the aircraft and any survivors. Search operations of this kind often continue through daylight hours with rotating aircraft crews, and surface vessels can remain on scene overnight. If debris is found, the focus shifts to recovery and to securing the site for investigators.

Families of those aboard are usually notified before names are released publicly. Readers should expect official identification to come from the Coast Guard, the operator, or family statements, not from social media speculation.

This is a developing story based on statements from the FAA, the US Coast Guard, Skyport in Bermuda, and reporting by Reuters, USA TODAY, the New York Post, PEOPLE, and Bermuda outlets. Facts will change as the search progresses. The most reliable updates will come from the Coast Guard Northeast District and the FAA, and this article’s confirmed timeline should be read as a snapshot of Saturday, October 3, not a final account of what happened to the flight.