Indonesia Finds Wreckage of Missing Surveillance Plane in South Sulawesi

Indonesian authorities said on Sunday they had located the wreckage of a fisheries surveillance aircraft that went missing in South Sulawesi and recovered one body from the crash site, officials said, as reported by Reuters. The turboprop plane lost contact with air traffic control on Saturday while en route to Makassar.

The ATR 42-500 aircraft, operated by Indonesia Air Transport and chartered by the Marine Affairs and Fisheries Ministry, was carrying 10 people, including seven crew members and three ministry staff. It departed from Yogyakarta and disappeared near the Maros region. Authorities later corrected earlier reports on the number of crew onboard.

Rescue teams found debris scattered across the fog-covered slopes of Mount Bulusaraung, including parts of the fuselage, tail, engine and passenger seats. Helicopter crews first spotted wreckage on Sunday morning, but search efforts were slowed by dense fog and steep terrain. One victim’s body was recovered from a ravine near the peak.

Indonesia’s transport safety agency said preliminary findings suggest the aircraft struck the mountainside in a controlled flight into terrain. The cause of the crash has not yet been determined. Investigators said further analysis is underway as search operations continue for the remaining victims.