The Canadian-registered Gulfstream G100, operated by Latitude Air Ambulance, was carrying four Canadian crew members, a Bermudian patient and a family member who was accompanying the patient for medical care. The aircraft departed Bermuda shortly before midnight and was scheduled to arrive at Boston Logan International Airport early Saturday.

As the aircraft approached Massachusetts, air traffic controllers struggled to communicate with the crew. The pilot reportedly indicated that the aircraft was experiencing electrical problems, and a controller was heard asking whether the plane was “coming in blind” and whether the pilot was declaring an emergency.

The jet had been cruising at approximately 24,000 feet before suddenly descending about 13,000 feet within several minutes. Radio and radar contact were subsequently lost, and the aircraft never reached Boston.

A massive search and rescue operation was launched involving Coast Guard aircraft, helicopters, boats and cutters, along with assistance from other agencies. Search crews later located a debris field approximately 20 miles off the coast of Nantucket, confirming that the aircraft had gone down.

Despite an extensive search covering more than 4,400 square miles over approximately 66 hours, none of the six people aboard was located. The Coast Guard subsequently suspended the active search.

Investigators are now working to determine what caused the apparent electrical failure, rapid descent and eventual crash. The pilot's report that the aircraft was “coming in blind” is expected to be an important part of the investigation, along with efforts to recover additional wreckage and the aircraft's flight recorders.

The tragedy has deeply affected the families of those aboard, as officials from Canada, Bermuda and the United States continue to coordinate the investigation into what happened during the final minutes of the flight.

This article was independently written by the BJL Newsroom based on reporting from Matzav and additional published reports.