Debris located from missing medical transport aircraft off US coast

US authorities have discovered debris from a medical transport aircraft that went missing with six people on board. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported it lost contact with the Gulfstream G-100 plane shortly after 01:00 local time (05:00 GMT) on Saturday, while it was en route from Bermuda to Boston, Massachusetts. The search for survivors is ongoing off the coast of Nantucket, an island in Massachusetts, according to the US Coast Guard. Authorities have informed the next of kin of those on the flight, which included four Canadian nationals and two Bermudian nationals. The US Coast Guard confirmed that search crews located a debris field identified as belonging to the aircraft off Nantucket. The search operation involves ships, helicopters, and planes and is expected to continue throughout the night. The plane had departed from Bermuda's L.F. Wade International Airport at 23:40 local time and was scheduled to land at Boston's Logan International Airport at 01:30 EDT (05:30 GMT). The aircraft, registered to Latitude Air Ambulances, was reportedly collecting a patient and their relative, who are not Canadian, according to Clarence Togeretz, director of flight operations at Latitude. Flight data from FlightAware indicates that the aircraft experienced a significant drop in altitude before losing communication, descending from approximately 7,300 meters (24,000 feet) to 3,300 meters (11,000 feet). Radio transmissions revealed issues with communication between the air traffic controller and the pilot, as reported by the Boston Globe. The air traffic controller inquired whether the pilot was declaring an emergency, to which the pilot later confirmed. An area fire dispatcher had requested emergency crews to prepare for a plane experiencing an "electrical issue" just after 01:00 EDT, later stating that the aircraft had lost radio and radar contact. The Coast Guard is expected to provide further updates on Sunday morning local time.