Debris found off Nantucket as search continues for six aboard missing medical jet

The US Coast Guard has found debris from a missing Gulfstream G100 medical transport aircraft off Nantucket, Massachusetts, as the search continues for six people aboard the Bermuda–Boston flight.

Authorities confirmed that the debris belonged to the Canadian-registered aircraft, which departed Bermuda’s LF Wade International Airport at around 00:41 on Saturday, 3 October. Airport operator Bermuda Skyport said it carried four crew members and two passengers. Four occupants were Canadian and two were Bermudian.

Air traffic controllers lost contact with the aircraft at around 02:00. According to recordings obtained by ABC News, the pilots declared an emergency, but their transmissions were difficult to hear. A nearby Ethiopian Airlines aircraft subsequently attempted to contact the jet without success.

The Coast Guard deployed aircraft and vessels throughout Saturday, with cutter William Sparling continuing the search overnight. A further update was expected on Sunday.

An unnamed source familiar with the investigation told ABC News that the aircraft rapidly descended approximately 7,500 feet before striking the water. That account has not been publicly confirmed by investigators, and the cause remains unknown.