A passenger plane carrying 11 people lost contact with air traffic control on Saturday while it approached a mountainous area between Indonesia’s main island of Java and Sulawesi island, officials from the Transportation Ministry said.
The turboprop ATR 42-500 aircraft operated by Indonesia Air Transport departed from Yogyakarta on Saturday and flew toward Makassar, the capital city of South Sulawesi province, according to Transportation Ministry spokesperson Endah Purnama Sari.
The Transportation Ministry said the aircraft disappeared from radar at 1:17 p.m. local time (0517 GMT) as it flew over the Leang-Leang area in Maros, a mountainous district in South Sulawesi province.
The ministry confirmed that the aircraft carried 11 people, including crew and passengers, and that authorities initiated a search and rescue operation immediately after the loss of contact.
Search and rescue teams deployed personnel and assets to the Leang-Leang area in Maros to locate the missing aircraft, the Transportation Ministry said.
Officials said search operations focus on the mountainous terrain between Java and Sulawesi, where radar last detected the aircraft on its scheduled flight path.
The Transportation Ministry said it coordinates the search effort with local authorities, aviation agencies, and rescue units to determine the status and location of the missing plane.
Aviation authorities said they continue to collect flight data and communication records from air traffic control to assist investigators and search teams.
The Transportation Ministry said it will release further information about the missing plane and the search operation as new details become available.
