U.S. Coast Guard suspends search for missing Ontario air ambulance

The coast guard search began around 2 a.m. on Saturday after they were notified the Federal Aviation Administration had lost contact with the plane as it was flying from Bermuda to Boston.

The medical evacuation jet, belonging to Hamilton, Ont.-based Latitude Air Ambulance, was carrying a patient, their family member and four Canadian crew members when it went dark early Saturday.

Lt.-Cmdr. Kastriot Kastrati told reporters at the earlier news conference that he couldn’t provide details about the debris that was recovered, and Lake noted the coast guard was working with Massachusetts authorities to get sonar-equipped craft to search the sea floor around the debris field.

Lake said at the time that the search efforts were being aided by fixed-wing aircraft, boats and a helicopter, and that next of kin for the six missing people were being updated as the search continues.

He said a black box, a recording device found in airplanes used to investigate accidents, has yet to be recovered.

According to air traffic control audio posted by LiveATC.net, the pilot reported electrical problems and declared an emergency as the jet approached the coast.

“Roger, you said you’re coming in blind. Is that what you said?” a controller can be heard asking the pilot.

The plane also descended sharply from its cruising altitude of around 24,000 feet to around 10,000 feet, according to preliminary data from flight tracking site FlightRadar24.

Mary Schiavo, who is a former Inspector General of the U.S. Transportation Department, told The Associated Press she thinks the plane may have lost its navigational instruments just as a storm moved across its path on radar.

“Something bad happened with this big drop, and they flew into this big storm. It’s a terrible place to have a loss of your instruments and be flying blind,” said Schiavo, who is an aviation attorney. “It’s very easy to get disoriented and not know if you’re turning, climbing, descending, etc.”

Lake said at Sunday’s news conference that he didn’t want to speculate if electrical problems or weather played a factor in the incident.

“That’s up to the investigative efforts later,” he said.

Latitude Air Ambulance offers emergency medical transportation by plane worldwide, according to its website, and operations manager Clarence Togeretz told The Canadian Press on Saturday that this is the first time the company has lost contact with one of its planes.

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said in a social media post before the search was suspended that she was “deeply concerned” by the disappearance of the air ambulance carrying Canadian crew members, and that Global Affairs consular officials are in contact with the relevant authorities. 

“My thoughts are with everyone on board and their loved ones. I thank the U.S. Coast Guard and all those involved in the search and rescue efforts for their tireless work,” she wrote.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 4, 2026.

— with files from The Associated Press

The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press

U.S. Coast Guard suspends search for missing Ontario air ambulance

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