Wreckage of Missing Indonesia Air Transport Plane Found in Sulawesi; All 11 Feared Dead

Indonesian rescue teams have located the wreckage of the Indonesia Air Transport (IAT) flight that went missing yesterday in the mountainous Maros Regency of South Sulawesi. On Sunday morning, aerial search teams spotted the fuselage and tail section of the ATR 42-500 on the steep slopes of Mount Bulusaraung. While official confirmation regarding survivors is pending, authorities fear there are no survivors among the 11 people on board.

The aircraft, registered as PK-THT, was conducting a routine maritime surveillance mission for the Indonesian Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries. It departed from Adisutjipto Airport in Yogyakarta and was scheduled to land at Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport in Makassar.

According to Air Traffic Control (ATC), the pilot, Captain Andy Dahananto, lost contact at 1:17 PM local time on Saturday. Moments before vanishing from radar, the aircraft was reportedly struggling with its approach alignment. The final coordinates tracked the plane in the Leang-Leang region, a rugged karst landscape known for its difficult terrain.

The 11 People on Board are The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries confirmed that three of its senior staff members were on the flight:

Ferry Irawan (Patrol Vessel Analyst), Deden Mulyana (State Asset Manager), Yoga Naufal (Aerial Photography Operator), In addition to the ministry staff, eight crew members were on board. The flight was part of a nationwide effort to monitor illegal fishing activities in Indonesian waters.

Search and rescue agency Basarnas has deployed over 400 personnel, including members of the military and police. While SAR helicopters AI-7301 and H-2213 successfully identified the crash site north of the Bulusaraung peak early this morning, ground teams are facing extreme difficulties.

The wreckage is located in a nearly vertical section of the mountain. Rescuers must use specialized climbing gear to descend to the fuselage. Villagers in the Maros District reported hearing a “loud explosion” followed by smoke on Saturday afternoon, which helped teams narrow down the search area.

The manufacturer, ATR, has announced that its specialists are working with Indonesian authorities and the National Transportation Safety Committee (NTSC) to determine the cause of the crash. Preliminary data from Flightradar24 suggests the aircraft lost nearly 11,000 feet of altitude rapidly before disappearing. This accident once again highlights the ongoing challenges of aviation safety in Indonesia’s vast and geographically complex archipelago.