All Passengers Presumed Dead After Plane Went Missing Off US Coast
BBC News reports that all six passengers on board a medical transport aircraft missing off the US coast are presumed dead. The plane, travelling from Bermuda to Boston, disappeared in the early hours of Saturday.
Image Source: Getty Images
Image Caption: Four Canadian nationals and two Bermudian nationals were onboard the flight.
By Gavin Butler, published on 5 October 2026.
According to a statement from the flight's operator, Latitude Air Ambulance:
We must now face the heartbreaking reality that the four members of our Latitude team, our patient and the patient’s family escort, who were aboard Heartbeat 104, are presumed to have died.
The United States Coast Guard ended its search for survivors on Sunday evening, confirming the recovery of a "debris field" from the aircraft.
The plane took off from Bermuda's L.F. Wade International Airport at 23:40 local time on Friday and was due to land at Boston's Logan International at 01:30 EDT (05:30 GMT) the following morning.
Peter Byl, President of Latitude Air Ambulance, expressed his profound sorrow:
This is an unimaginable loss for our Latitude family and for everyone who loved the six people aboard Heartbeat 104.
Latitude Air Ambulance provides international medical flights for patients returning home. The flight crew included two pilots and two medical staff, all Canadians.
FlightAware's data reveals that the aircraft descended rapidly from 7,300m to 3,300m before communications were lost. Radio transmissions indicate a struggle with communication between the air traffic controller and the pilot, culminating in an emergency declaration.
An area fire dispatcher alerted emergency crews at 01:00 EDT about a plane with an "electrical issue" that later lost radio and radar contact.
Latitude Air Ambulance pledged to cooperate with authorities during recovery and investigation efforts.