Indonesian search and rescue teams successfully located wreckage from a missing aircraft that is suspected to have crashed with 11 individuals aboard while nearing a mountainous area on Sulawesi island amidst cloudy conditions. The turboprop ATR 42-500 was en route from Yogyakarta, Java’s primary island, to Makassar, the capital of South Sulawesi province. It disappeared from radar after air traffic control instructed the aircraft to adjust its approach alignment. The plane, operated by Indonesia Air Transport, was last seen at 01:17 p.m. in the Leang-Leang region of Maros, a mountainous area in South Sulawesi. It carried eight crew members and three passengers from the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries who were part of an aerial maritime surveillance mission.
A rescue team aboard an air force helicopter spotted what seemed to be a small aircraft window in a forested zone on Mount Bulusaraung on Sunday morning, as reported by Muhammad Arif Anwar, the head of the Makassar Search and Rescue Office. Subsequently, ground rescuers identified larger debris resembling the main fuselage and tail scattered on a steep northern slope during a press briefing.
The discovery of the primary sections of the aircraft has aided in narrowing the search area and providing vital information to intensify the search efforts, according to Anwar. The focus has now shifted towards locating any potential survivors. Despite challenging weather conditions and difficult terrain, ground and air rescue teams persisted in advancing towards the crash site on Sunday, as shared by Maj.-Gen. Bangun Nawoko, the Hasanuddin military commander of South Sulawesi.
Photos and footage released by the National Search and Rescue Agency displayed rescuers navigating along a narrow mountain ridge enveloped in dense fog to access the scattered wreckage. Indonesia heavily relies on air transport and ferries to connect its vast archipelago of over 17,000 islands. The country has encountered several transportation mishaps in recent times, ranging from plane and bus accidents to ferry incidents.