Indonesian authorities intensified a search on Saturday for a fisheries surveillance aircraft that went missing with 11 people on board while approaching South Sulawesi, deploying hundreds of personnel across difficult terrain as investigators worked to verify emerging reports from the field.
The turboprop ATR 42-500, operated by Indonesia Air Transport, lost contact with air traffic control at about 1:30 p.m. local time while flying over the Maros region, according to rescue officials.
The aircraft had been chartered by the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries and was carrying eight crew members and three ministry employees conducting aerial surveillance operations.
Rescue officials said contact was lost shortly after air traffic controllers instructed the aircraft to correct its approach alignment while heading toward Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport.
Approximately 400 personnel from search and rescue agencies, the military, and police units were deployed as the operation expanded across mountainous areas of South Sulawesi.
Air force helicopters, drones, and ground teams were mobilized, though officials said steep terrain and adverse weather conditions slowed access to suspected crash sites.
Authorities said they were concentrating efforts near Mount Bulusaraung after indications suggested the plane may have gone down close to its peak.
“We suspect the plane came down near the peak of Mount Bulusaraung. We have deployed our personnel there,” said Andi Sultan, an official with the local rescue agency.
Hikers in the area reported finding scattered debris and small fires, sightings that were relayed to authorities and were being verified by rescue teams attempting to reach the location.
Unconfirmed flight tracking data indicated the aircraft had been flying eastward at about 11,000 feet before rapidly losing altitude and disappearing from tracking systems.
Officials declined to speculate on the cause of the incident as search operations continued.
Transportation Ministry spokesperson Endah Purnama Sari said air traffic controllers declared an emergency distress phase after radio contact was lost.
Marine Affairs and Fisheries Minister Sakti Wahyu Trenggono confirmed that three ministry employees were aboard the flight as part of a maritime surveillance mission.
The aircraft manufacturer ATR, a Franco-Italian company, said it had been informed of an accident in Indonesia and that its specialists were supporting local authorities and investigators as the response unfolded.