Search launched after Indonesian plane with 11 people goes missing

An ATR 42-500 aircraft operated by Indonesia Air Transport lost contact on a domestic flight over South Sulawesi province. A major search and rescue operation is underway for the 11 people on board, with last contact made near the Leang-Leang area.

A passenger aircraft carrying 11 individuals has gone missing in Indonesia, prompting a large-scale emergency response. The ATR 42-500 turboprop, operated by the airline Indonesia Air Transport (IAT), lost contact with air traffic control on Saturday during a domestic flight from Yogyakarta to Makassar, the capital of South Sulawesi province.

Details of the flight and immediate response

According to officials from Indonesia's Transportation Ministry, the plane, with registration PK-THT, made its last known contact at 1:17 p.m. local time (0517 GMT). Its final detected position was near the Leang-Leang region in Maros district. The National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) swiftly established an on-site operations post and dispatched teams to the last known coordinates. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation confirmed it is coordinating closely with all relevant authorities.

Passenger manifest and initial weather assessment

Basarnas officials confirmed the aircraft was carrying a total of 11 people: eight crew members and three passengers. Early reports from the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency indicated the weather at the time of the disappearance was partly cloudy with good visibility of nearly eight kilometers, though this data remains subject to further verification as the investigation proceeds. The cause of the disappearance is unknown, and search efforts are focused on locating the aircraft in the challenging terrain of South Sulawesi.

Context of aviation safety in Indonesia

Indonesia, a vast archipelago with challenging geography, has historically faced aviation safety challenges, leading to significant regulatory reforms and infrastructure improvements over the past decade. This incident underscores the ongoing risks associated with domestic air travel in complex environments. For the global aviation community and nations like Türkiye, which prioritize rigorous aviation safety and robust search and rescue capabilities, such events highlight the critical, continuous need for international cooperation, advanced technology, and unwavering commitment to passenger safety in all regions.