Indonesian search and rescue teams are conducting an intensive multi-agency operation to locate a missing commercial aircraft that vanished from radar on Saturday afternoon. The Indonesia Air Transport turboprop plane, carrying three passengers and eight crew members, disappeared during its scheduled flight from Yogyakarta to Makassar on Sulawesi island.
According to official reports from the Makassar search and rescue agency, contact was lost with the aircraft at approximately 1:00 PM local time (06:00 GMT). The last known position was tracked to the mountainous terrain of Maros Regency, bordering Makassar, prompting authorities to concentrate search efforts in this challenging geographic area.
The comprehensive search operation involves coordinated efforts between Indonesian air force units, police departments, and volunteer organizations. Muhammad Arif Anwar, head of the local rescue agency, confirmed the deployment of both aerial and ground teams. Andi Sultan, operations chief at the Makassar agency, detailed that advanced search capabilities including helicopter surveillance and drone technology are being utilized to scour the difficult landscape.
French aircraft manufacturer ATR, which produced the missing plane, has acknowledged the incident and released an official statement confirming their technical specialists are providing full support to Indonesian authorities and the operating airline. The company has characterized the situation as ‘an accident’ while awaiting further investigation findings.
This incident highlights ongoing aviation safety concerns in Indonesia, the world’s largest archipelago nation where air transportation serves as a critical connectivity infrastructure between its thousands of islands. The country has experienced several aviation tragedies in recent years, including two separate helicopter crashes in September 2025 that resulted in ten fatalities collectively.