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An Indonesia Air Transport ATR 42-500 turboprop aircraft disappeared from radar during its journey from Yogyakarta to Makassar, the capital of South Sulawesi, as confirmed by Transportation Ministry spokesperson Endah Purnama Sari.
The aircraft’s last known position was recorded at 1:17 p.m. local time (4:17 p.m. AEDT) in the Leang-Leang region, a mountainous area in Maros, South Sulawesi.
In response, multiple search and rescue teams have been dispatched, bolstered by air force helicopters, drones, and ground units, according to a statement from Sari.
There is growing optimism about locating the aircraft after hikers on Mount Bulusaraung reported discovering scattered debris, which included a logo consistent with that of Indonesia Air Transport, and small fires still burning in the vicinity.
“These sightings have been communicated to authorities and are currently being verified by rescue teams trying to access the area,” stated Major General Bangun Nawoko, commander of the Hasanuddin military base in South Sulawesi.
Sari said the plane disappeared shortly after being instructed by air traffic control to correct its approach alignment.
“After the last ATC instructions, radio contact was lost and controllers declared the emergency distress phase.”
She said rescue teams focused their search on the mountains where the aircraft, with eight crew members and three passengers from the Marine Affairs and Fisheries Ministry aboard, was believed to have deviated from its approach to Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport.
Steep terrain at Bulusaraung National Park linking Maros and Pangkep districts complicated the search efforts, Nawoko said.
Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Sakti Wahyu Trenggono told a news conference late Saturday that three employees of his ministry were aboard the flight as part of an airborne maritime surveillance mission supporting Indonesia’s fisheries management operations.
Indonesia, the world’s largest archipelago nation with more than 280 million people, relies heavily on air transport and ferries to connect its over 17,000 islands.