Aircraft loses contact in Indonesia's South Sulawesi, search underway
Jakarta, Jan 17
An ATR 400 aircraft flying from Yogyakarta to Makassar lost contact on Saturday around Maros Regency in South Sulawesi, Indonesian local media reported.
The aircraft, operated by Indonesia Air Transport, was scheduled to land at Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport in Makassar. It reportedly lost contact at around 1:17 p.m. local time while flying over the Maros area.
According to local media, Indonesia's Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) in Makassar said search teams had been dispatched to the suspected location after receiving coordinate data from Indonesia's air navigation service provider, AirNav Indonesia.
"We are currently heading to the location after being provided with coordinate points from AirNav, around the Leang-Leang area in Maros Regency," said Andi Sultan, head of operations at the Basarnas Makassar office.
He said preliminary information indicated that the aircraft had departed from Yogyakarta and was en route to Makassar when contact was lost, reports Xinhua news agency.
A joint search-and-rescue operation involving three teams and about 25 personnel has been deployed to the area.
In a separate statement, Maros Police Chief Douglas Mahendrajaya was quoted by local media as saying that police were also verifying reports of the aircraft losing contact in the region.
"Yes, the information is correct, but we are still in the process of confirming it," he said.
Earlier in September last year, an aircraft crashed in Central Papua province in Indonesia, killing all four aboard.
The wreckage was located in a canyon in Mimika regency, said I Wayan Suyatna, head of the local search and rescue office. The bodies were evacuated to a hospital in Timika, the regency's capital.
The helicopter went down while flying from Ilaga Airport in Puncak regency to Mozes Kilangin Airport in Mimika, Suyatna said.
— IANS
Reader Comments
The ATR 400 is a turboprop, right? Often used for regional flights. The terrain in Sulawesi can be very rugged. Hope the rescue teams have all the resources they need. The article mentions a similar crash last year... safety audits need to be stringent.
Reading this from Mumbai. It's a stark reminder of how crucial air traffic control and navigation systems are, especially over archipelagos. Wishing the best for the passengers and crew.
Very sad news. Indonesia is a close neighbor and many Indians travel there for tourism and business. I hope the authorities provide timely updates to the families. The waiting must be agonizing.
The response seems coordinated with 25 personnel deployed quickly. That's good. But mentioning the previous crash raises questions about overall safety standards for regional carriers in the area. Just an observation, hoping for a miracle.
Bhagwan unki raksha kare. Flying over islands and mountains is always tricky with weather changes. Let's hope for a positive outcome. The search teams are doing God's work.
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