Search Efforts Underway for Missing Indonesian Aircraft
Indonesian rescue teams are actively looking for an ATR 42-500 surveillance plane that disappeared on Saturday, carrying 11 people, according to officials.
The aircraft lost contact with air traffic control around 1:30 p.m. local time near the Maros area in South Sulawesi, as reported by Andi Sultan, a local rescue agency official. The plane was on its way to Makassar, the capital city of South Sulawesi, after taking off from Yogyakarta province.
On board were eight crew members and three passengers, all of whom were part of a mission for Indonesia’s Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, said ministry official Pung Nugroho Saksono. Marine Affairs Minister Sakti Wahyu Trenggono further confirmed that the passengers were ministry staff involved in fisheries surveillance.
A search operation has mobilized around 400 personnel, including military and police units, to find the missing aircraft and its occupants. However, efforts are facing challenges due to inclement weather. Sultan mentioned, “We suspect the plane may have gone down near the peak of Mount Bulusaraung, and we have sent our teams to that location.”
The ATR 42-500 is a regional aircraft designed to carry between 42 and 50 passengers. Unverified data from Flightradar24 suggests that the aircraft was flying in the Java Sea at approximately 11,000 feet before it lost altitude sharply and disappeared from tracking systems.
In response to the incident, Franco-Italian manufacturer ATR stated that it is aware of the situation and is providing assistance to local authorities as they begin their investigation.
