Indonesian authorities have located the wreckage of a fisheries surveillance plane but are still searching for the 11 people on board.
The small turboprop, operated by Indonesia Air Transport, disappeared on Sunday over the mountainous Maros region in South Sulawesi province after losing contact with air traffic control around 1:30 pm local time (5:30 pm AEDT) on Saturday. The plane had departed Yogyakarta en route to Makassar, carrying three passengers and eight crew—all ministry staff on a fisheries surveillance mission.
Rescue officials said debris was found around Mount Bulusaraung, roughly 1,500 km northeast of Jakarta, after hikers reported scattered wreckage and small fires. About 1,200 personnel, including military and police, are searching for survivors. The fuselage and tail were spotted from helicopters early Sunday.
Indonesia’s National Transportation Safety Committee will lead the investigation. The cause remains unknown, though experts note most crashes result from multiple factors. The country has a history of aviation accidents, including recent helicopter crashes in South Kalimantan and Papua.
