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Search Teams Deployed After Indonesian ATR Aircraft Loses Contact Over Sulawesi

An ATR 400 aircraft operated by Indonesia Air Transport lost contact while flying from Yogyakarta to Makassar over Maros Regency in South Sulawesi. The Search and Rescue Agency has dispatched teams to the Leang-Leang area based on coordinates from air navigation services. A joint operation involving about 25 personnel is now underway to locate the aircraft. This incident follows a fatal helicopter crash in Central Papua last September.

Key Points: ATR Aircraft Loses Contact in Indonesia, Search Underway

  • ATR 400 lost contact en route from Yogyakarta to Makassar
  • Search teams dispatched to Leang-Leang area in Maros Regency
  • Joint operation involves 25 personnel across three teams
  • Police are verifying the reports of lost contact
2 min read

Aircraft loses contact in Indonesia's South Sulawesi, search underway

An ATR 400 aircraft lost contact over South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Search and rescue teams have been dispatched to the suspected location near Maros Regency.

"We are currently heading to the location after being provided with coordinate points from AirNav, around the Leang-Leang area in Maros Regency. - Andi Sultan"

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

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
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.
D
David E
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.
A
Aman W
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.
S
Sarah B
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.
K
Karthik V
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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