In Indonesia, a regional passenger aircraft carrying 11 people lost contact with air traffic control while approaching a mountainous area between the islands of Java and Sulawesi. Following the incident, search and rescue operations were launched, during which wreckage pieces believed to belong to the aircraft were found.
Transportation Ministry Spokesperson Endah Purnama Sari stated that the turboprop ATR 42-500 aircraft operated by Indonesia Air Transport (IAT) disappeared from radar while en route from Yogyakarta to Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport in Makassar, the capital of South Sulawesi.
Sari noted that the aircraft was last detected at 13:17 local time near Leang-Leang in the Maros region of South Sulawesi province. It was reported that radio contact was lost shortly after air traffic control issued a correction instruction on the approach route, and an emergency was declared.
It was stated that the search and rescue efforts involved air force helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles and ground teams, while the steep and forested terrain around Mount Bulusaraung made the operations difficult.
Reports from hikers in the area who said they had seen wreckage pieces consistent with the Indonesia Air Transport logo and signs of small-scale fires increased hopes of locating the aircraft. South Sulawesi Hasanuddin Military Commander Major General Bangun Nawoko said these reports were being verified by rescue teams.
Makassar Search and Rescue (SAR) Operations Chief Andi Sultan announced that at 07:49 local time on Sunday morning, large pieces of wreckage believed to belong to the fuselage and tail section of the aircraft were reached on the southern slope of Bulusaraung Hill. It was noted that access to the site was achieved with difficulty due to the steep terrain.
Indonesia’s Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries confirmed that the missing aircraft was one of its patrol planes, stating that the aircraft with registration PK-THT was carrying a total of 11 people, including 8 crew members and 3 passengers.
Officials reported that approximately 500 personnel were on standby to support the search and rescue operations, while no official statement has yet been made regarding the fate of those on board.
