'Debris field' found in search for missing medical flight from Bermuda

In short:

The US Coast Guard has found a "debris field' in its search for an air ambulance that went missing over the Atlantic.

The Canadian-registered aircraft was carrying six people from Bermuda to Boston in the United States.

What's next?

The Coast Guard said the search would continue.

Searchers have found debris from an air ambulance that was carrying six people when it went missing over the Atlantic during a flight from Bermuda to Boston.

The "debris field" was found off the coast of Nantucket, in the US state of Massachusetts, following the disappearance on Saturday, the US Coast Guard said.

Four Canadians and two Bermudian nationals were aboard, the Coast Guard said in a statement.

It added that the next of kin of those missing had been notified and one of its cutters would keep searching the water overnight and into Sunday.

According to the Coast Guard, the Federal Aviation Administration reported that the Gulfstream G100 aircraft lost contact very early on Saturday morning.

Air traffic audio indicates that it may have been "coming in blind" when a storm loomed ahead shortly before it disappeared.

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

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

The plane may have lost its navigational instruments as a storm seen on radar moved across its path, former US Department of Transportation inspector-general Mary Schiavo said.

The plane also descended sharply from its cruising altitude of around 7.3 kilometres to around three kilometres, according to preliminary data from flight tracking site FlightRadar24.

"Something bad happened with this big drop, and they flew into this big storm," Ms Schiavo, an aviation attorney, said.

"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."

The Canadian-registered air ambulance jet had four crew and two passengers aboard when it departed Bermuda's L.F. Wade International Airport for the night flight to Massachusetts, according to a statement from the Bermuda airport's operator, Skyport.

Transport Canada was closely monitoring and working with authorities on search and rescue efforts, the country's Minister of Transport Steven MacKinnon said on X.

The Bermuda government is in contact with US authorities and the families of the passengers, Bermuda Premier David Burt wrote in a statement posted on Instagram.

"We are praying that all six people will be found safe," the statement said.

The US National Transportation Safety Board said it was gathering information about the situation, but it did not say immediately if it would investigate.