U.S. Coast Guard suspends search for missing Ontario air ambulance

The U.S. Coast Guard suspended the search for six people, including four Canadians, who were aboard a missing medical transport aircraft off the coast of Nantucket.

A statement released Sunday said the coast guard and other agencies searched more than 7,000 kilometres for the plane that went missing Saturday with the Canadians and two Bermuda nationals on board.

Rear Admiral Matthew Lake said in the statement that suspending a search was not an easy decision and offered his condolences to the families and loved ones affected by the tragedy.

Coast guard officials earlier told reporters that a debris field was found about 32 kilometres off the island of Nantucket, in waters approximately 24 to 27 metres deep, which was confirmed to be from the missing Canadian air ambulance jet.

The coast guard search began around 2 a.m. Saturday after they were notified the Federal Aviation Administration lost contact with the plane as it flew from Bermuda to Boston.

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The medical evacuation jet, belonging to Hamilton, Ont.-based Latitude Air Ambulance, was carrying a patient, their family member and four Canadian crew members when it went dark.

Latitude Air, in a statement late Sunday, said it faces a “heartbreaking reality” that all six souls are presumed dead.

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“Our four crew members were valued members of the Latitude family. They dedicated themselves to providing care to people at some of the most difficult moments in their lives, and they were carrying out that mission when this tragedy occurred,” the statement says.

“We are grieving their loss deeply and will continue to support their families and our employees through the difficult days ahead.”

The company said it was co-operating with authorities and asked for privacy for the families involved.

Lt.-Cmdr. Kastriot Kastrati from the coast guard earlier told reporters that he couldn’t provide details about the debris that was recovered. Lake said the coast guard was working with Massachusetts authorities to get sonar-equipped craft to search the sea floor around the debris field.

Lake said search efforts were being aided by fixed-wing aircraft, boats and a helicopter, and that next of kin for the six missing people were being updated as the search continued.

He said a black box, a recording device found in airplanes used to investigate accidents, has yet to be recovered.

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According to air traffic control audio posted by LiveATC.net, the pilot reported electrical problems and declared an emergency as the jet approached the coast.

“Roger, you said you’re coming in blind. Is that what you said?” a controller can be heard asking the pilot.

The plane also descended sharply from its cruising altitude of around 24,000 feet to around 10,000 feet, according to preliminary data from flight tracking site FlightRadar24.

Mary Schiavo, a former inspector general of the U.S. Transportation Department, told The Associated Press she thinks the plane may have lost its navigational instruments just as a storm moved across its path on radar.

“Something bad happened with this big drop, and they flew into this big storm. It’s a terrible place to have a loss of your instruments and be flying blind,” said Schiavo, an aviation attorney. “It’s very easy to get disoriented and not know if you’re turning, climbing, descending, etc.”

Lake said at Sunday’s news conference that he didn’t want to speculate if electrical problems or weather played a factor.

“That’s up to the investigative efforts later,” he said.

Latitude Air Ambulance offers emergency medical transportation by plane worldwide, according to its website. Operations manager Clarence Togeretz told The Canadian Press on Saturday that this was the first time the company lost contact with one of its planes.

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Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said on social media before the search was suspended that she was “deeply concerned” by the disappearance of the air ambulance.

She said Global Affairs consular officials were in contact with the relevant authorities.

“My thoughts are with everyone on board and their loved ones. I thank the U.S. Coast Guard and all those involved in the search and rescue efforts for their tireless work,” Anand wrote.