An Indonesian fisheries surveillance aircraft with 11 people on board went missing on Saturday while flying over mountainous terrain in South Sulawesi, triggering a major search operation hampered by poor weather and difficult access.
The ATR 42-500 turboprop, operated by Indonesia Air Transport, lost contact with air traffic control at about 1:30pm local time in the Maros region, according to local rescue officials.
Andi Sultan of the Maros search and rescue agency said the aircraft had been heading to Makassar after departing from Yogyakarta when communication was lost.
“There were eight crew and three passengers on board,” Sultan said.
Around 400 personnel from the military, police, and rescue services were deployed across South Sulawesi. Sultan said bad weather was slowing progress and declined to speculate on the cause of the incident.
“We suspect the plane came down near the peak of Mount Bulusaraung. We have deployed our personnel there,” he said.
Basarnas, Indonesia’s national search and rescue agency, said teams were concentrating on the Leang-Leang area of Maros District after AirNav Indonesia provided the plane’s last known coordinates at 04°57’08” S and 119°42’54” E.
Search units include ground teams, drones, and air force helicopters.
Director General of Air Transport Lukman F Laisa said the aircraft had deviated from its designated approach path before contact was lost.
“The aircraft was identified not to be on the approach path it should have been, so the air traffic control gave a redirection to the crew to correct the position. Air traffic control then conveyed several further instructions. The instructions aimed to bring the plane back to the landing line in accordance with the procedure. After the submission of the last instructions, communication with the plane was lost. Following up on this condition, air traffic control declared an emergency phase in accordance with the applicable provisions and procedures.”
Transportation Ministry spokesperson Endah Purnama Sari said the aircraft was last tracked at 1:17pm in the Leang-Leang area.
Hope of locating the aircraft increased after hikers on Mount Bulusaraung reported finding scattered debris, including a logo consistent with Indonesia Air Transport markings, and small fires still burning.
“The sightings were reported to authorities and are being verified by rescue teams attempting to reach the area,” said Maj. Gen. Bangun Nawoko, South Sulawesi’s Hasanuddin military commander.
Nawoko said steep terrain inside Bulusaraung National Park, which links Maros and Pangkep districts, was complicating access. Weather at the time included cloud cover and 8-kilometre visibility.
The aircraft, registered PK-THT, is owned by Indonesia Air Transport, a charter company that operates flights for the energy sector and government agencies. It was flying under a long-term contract for the Marine and Fisheries Resources Surveillance service.
Marine Affairs and Fisheries Ministry official Pung Nugroho Saksono said the plane had been chartered by the ministry. Minister Sakti Wahyu Trenggono later confirmed that the three passengers were ministry staff conducting airborne maritime surveillance to support fisheries management.
The ATR 42-500 is designed to carry between 42 and 50 passengers.
According to unconfirmed Flightradar24 data, an aircraft matching the description was flying eastward over the Java Sea at about 11,000 feet before rapidly losing altitude and disappearing from tracking systems.
In France, aircraft manufacturer ATR said it had been informed of an accident in Indonesia and that its specialists were assisting local authorities.
Indonesia, home to more than 280 million people across over 17,000 islands, depends heavily on air travel to link remote regions. The country has faced repeated aviation safety challenges in recent years, including several fatal helicopter and aircraft incidents.
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