By Gloria Nosa
Indonesian authorities are mounting an urgent search for a turboprop aircraft carrying 10 people, including three government employees and seven crew members, after losing contact with the plane on Saturday.
The Indonesia Air Transport flight departed Yogyakarta bound for Makassar on Sulawesi island. According to Minister Sakti Wahyu Trenggono, the three ministry staff on board were conducting aerial monitoring of marine and fisheries resources in the region.
Contact with the plane was lost shortly after 1:00 pm local time (0600 GMT). Local rescue officials confirmed that teams were deployed to a mountainous area of Maros Regency, near the plane’s last known location. Operations include air and land searches involving the air force, police, and volunteers, with helicopters and drones assisting in the effort.
Muhammad Arif Anwar, head of the regional search and rescue agency, said authorities were focused on the challenging terrain near Makassar. Andi Sultan, operations chief at the Makassar search and rescue agency, confirmed the coordinated use of aerial and ground resources to locate the missing aircraft.
The plane’s manufacturer, ATR, based in France, stated it had been informed of “an accident” and that its specialists are fully supporting the investigation alongside Indonesian authorities and the airline.
Indonesia, a vast archipelago, relies heavily on air transport to connect its thousands of islands. However, the country has faced a poor aviation safety record in recent years, with multiple fatal crashes. In September 2025, a helicopter in South Kalimantan crashed, killing all eight passengers and crew. Less than two weeks later, a helicopter crash in Papua’s remote Ilaga district claimed four lives.
The search continues, with officials urging patience as they comb the rugged terrain to determine the plane’s fate.
