Indonesian plane, with 11 passengers onboard goes missing in mountainous region during 2-hour flight, large scale search operation on

A small passenger plane travelling from Yogyakarta to Makassar, with 11 people onboard vanished in Indonesia. The contact with the Indonesia Air Transport turboplane  was lost on Saturday, after it disappeared from radar during a two-hour flight, prompting a large scale search operation.

11 passengers onboard

8 crew members and three passengers were onboard on the small plane when it got disappeared. As per state news agency Antara, officials from the Marine Affairs and Fisheries Ministry stated that the ministry had chartered the plane and the three passengers were staff conducting air surveillance on fisheries.

How did it disappeared?

The turboprop ATR 42-500, operated by Indonesia Air Transport, last made contact with air traffic control at 1:17 p.m local time around the mountainous Maros region ⁠in South Sulawesi province, according to Edy Prakoso, director of operations at Basarnas, Indonesia’s national search-and-rescue agency. A rescue official confirmed that the plane suspected to came down near the peak of Mount Bulusaraung.

Endah Purnama Sari, a spokesperson for the Transportation Ministry told AP, that the plane disappeared shortly after being instructed by air traffic control to correct its approach alignment to Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport in Makassar.

Search operations underway 

The search operation is currently underway, with over 400 personnels including military and police units deployed to search for the plane and those on board. Additionally, 25 rescue and search officers are divided into three groups for rescue and search operations.

AP reported that Hikers on Mount Bulusaraung in South Sulawesi have seen scattered debris, including a logo, similar with Indonesia Air, along with small fires. Officials have been deployed there to locate the wreckage.