United States of America

Coast Guard Ends Search for 6 in Nantucket Jet Crash

Is this tragic closure or has the investigation for answers only just begun?

Published 1 day ago

Coast Guard Ends Search for 6 in Nantucket Jet Crash

Story

Above: U.S. Coast Guard personnel off Nantucket, Massachusetts, on Oct. 3. Image credit: U.S. Coast Guard

The Facts

The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search on Sunday for six people aboard a medical transport jet that went missing near Nantucket, Massachusetts, a day after a debris field from the aircraft was located off the island's coast.
United States Coast Guard News
FOX News
Al Jazeera
Rear Adm. Matthew Lake, commander of the Coast Guard's Northeast District, offered condolences to the families of those missing, adding that it was "not an easy decision," after the Coast Guard and other partner agencies searched 4,445 miles over 66 hours.
United States Coast Guard News
U.S. Coast Guard Northeast District on X
The operation mobilized aircraft and helicopter crews from Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod, lifeboat crews from Station Brant Point, the cutter William Sparling and units from the New York Air National Guard's 106th Rescue Wing.
United States Coast Guard News
The Gulfstream G100, tail number C-GRJP, lost contact with air traffic control while flying from Bermuda to Boston. In response, the Federal Aviation Administration issued a Search and Rescue Alert Notice around 1:20 a.m. on Saturday, before notifying the Coast Guard at about 2 a.m. local time.
United States Coast Guard News
United States Coast Guard News
New York Post
CBS News
FlightAware data show the jet departed Bermuda's L.F. Wade International Airport late on Friday and dropped from nearly 24,000 feet (3,715 meters) to 11,000 feet in approximately three minutes before stabilizing. It had been scheduled to land at Boston Logan around 1:25 a.m. Eastern Time.
FlightAware
FlightAware
Four Canadian nationals and two Bermudian nationals were aboard, including two pilots, two medical workers, a patient and their companion, according to the Coast Guard and Latitude Air Ambulance, the Canada-based operator of the flight.
United States Coast Guard News
PR Newswire

Sources Split

LEFT

CENTER

RIGHT

ESTAB
CRIT

CENTER

PRO
ESTAB

The Spin

Narrative A

Calling off a search after days of nonstop flying and reconnaissance across thousands of miles is a difficult yet responsible call. Crews and aircraft from multiple agencies were pushed to the limit, and the families of those lost can be assured that rescue professionals did their due diligence.

U.S. Coast Guard Northeast District on X

United States Coast Guard News

Narrative B

The six people lost in the air will deserve more in terms of the search for answers. Establishing exactly what went wrong must remain the priority, while the investigation takes the time needed to provide a full and careful account of what happened.