Indonesian authorities discovered debris from a missing aircraft that is suspected to have crashed the day before with 11 individuals on board while approaching a hilly area on Sulawesi island amid overcast conditions. The turboprop ATR 42-500 was en route from Yogyakarta, on the main island of Java, to Makassar, the capital of South Sulawesi province, when it disappeared from radar on Saturday after receiving instructions from air traffic control to adjust its approach alignment. The aircraft, operated by Indonesia Air Transport, was last located at 01:17 p.m. in the Leang-Leang region of Maros, a mountainous district in South Sulawesi province. On board were eight crew members and three passengers from the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries who were part of an aerial maritime surveillance mission.
A search team aboard an air force helicopter spotted what appeared to be a small aircraft window in a wooded area on the slope of Mount Bulusaraung on Sunday morning, as reported by Muhammad Arif Anwar, the head of Makassar’s Search and Rescue Office. Subsequently, ground rescuers located larger debris consistent with the main fuselage and tail spread across a steep northern slope.
“The identification of the primary sections of the aircraft significantly reduces the search area and provides a crucial lead for refining the search efforts,” stated Anwar, emphasizing the focus on locating potential survivors. Despite challenging conditions such as strong winds, dense fog, and difficult terrain, ground and air rescue teams pushed forward toward the wreckage site on Sunday, according to Maj.-Gen. Bangun Nawoko, the Hasanuddin military commander in South Sulawesi.
Images and videos released by the National Search and Rescue Agency depicted rescuers navigating a steep, mist-covered mountain ridge to access the scattered debris. Indonesia heavily relies on air travel and maritime transport to connect its vast archipelago of over 17,000 islands. The country has experienced various transportation mishaps in recent times, including plane crashes, bus accidents, and ferry incidents.