Jakarta: A regional passenger aircraft carrying 11 people lost contact with air traffic control on Saturday while approaching a mountainous region in South Sulawesi, prompting a large-scale search and rescue operation, Indonesian authorities said.
The turboprop ATR 42-500, operated by Indonesia Air Transport, was flying from Yogyakarta to South Sulawesi’s capital when it vanished from radar, according to Endah Purnama Sari, spokesperson for the Transportation Ministry. The aircraft was last tracked at 1.17 pm local time (0517 GMT) over the Leang-Leang area of Maros district, a mountainous region near Bulusaraung National Park.
Sari said multiple search and rescue teams have been deployed, supported by air force helicopters, drones and ground units. “After the last instructions from air traffic control to correct its approach alignment, radio contact was lost and controllers declared the emergency distress phase,” she said.
Hopes of locating the aircraft rose after hikers on Mount Bulusaraung reported spotting scattered debris, a logo resembling Indonesia Air Transport markings, and small fires still burning in the area. South Sulawesi military commander Maj Gen Bangun Nawoko said the sightings have been reported to authorities and are being verified by rescue teams attempting to reach the site.
The aircraft was carrying eight crew members and three passengers, all reportedly officials from the Marine Affairs and Fisheries Ministry. Rescue efforts are focused on mountainous areas around Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport, where the plane is believed to have deviated from its intended approach.
Weather conditions at the time included cloud cover with visibility of around eight kilometres, Sari said. Nawoko added that the steep and rugged terrain spanning the Maros and Pangkep districts has complicated search operations.
