There has been a major update in the case of the Boston-bound air ambulance that went missing. As we previously reported, there were six people reportedly on board when it disappeared off the Nantucket coast.
"The FAA issued a Search and Rescue Alert Notice for Gulfstream G-100 around 1:20 a.m. local time on Saturday, Oct. 3," per an FAA spokesperson.
Per FlightAware data, the plane had dropped from 23,500 ft to just 11,000 ft in the span of three minutes.
The New York Post revealed the final transmission of the air traffic controller to the plane before its radar ping went blank. "You're coming in blind, is that what you said? Are you declaring an emergency or no? You're coming in a little weak so I didn't hear what your response was."
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There Has Been a Major Update for the Missing Plane
The Coast Guard discovered parts of the wreckage off the coast of Massachusetts on Saturday night. Per the United States Coast Guard News, this came after they had searched over 1,644 square miles.
The Coast Guard also released the names and identities of those who are assumed dead following the terrifying crash. The four Canadians on the Gulfstream were named as Philip Gregory Childerhose; Thomas Henry Farquhar; Sarah Jane Paton; and Jolene Beth Weir. The two Bermudians on the Gulfstream were named as Marilyn Lavonne Bean; and Sergio Wayne Lottimore.
It is Unclear What Happened Before the Plane Disappeared
A lot of things are currently up in the air regarding what happened before the plane's crash. The former inspector general of the Transportation Department, Mary Schiavo, explained that the plane could have lost control of its navigational instruments because of a storm.
"Something bad happened with this big drop," she explained, "and they flew into this big storm. It's a terrible place to have a loss of your instruments and be flying blind."
"It's very easy to get disoriented and not know if you're turning, climbing, descending, etc. Spatial orientation hits pretty quickly."
This is a truly harrowing situation. May they all rest in peace.
