Rescuers Locate Wreckage, Recover Body After Indonesia Air Transport ATR 42-500 Vanishes Near Mount Bulusaraung
Rescuers located wreckage and recovered a body from an Indonesia Air Transport ATR 42-500 with 11 aboard that vanished near Mount Bulusaraung while approaching Makassar.
Overview
An ATR 42-500 operated by Indonesia Air Transport lost radar contact Saturday at 01:17 p.m. near Leang-Leang, Maros, while approaching Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport in Makassar.
The flight carried eight crew members and three Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries personnel on an airborne maritime surveillance mission bound for South Sulawesi.
A search team aboard an air force helicopter spotted a small aircraft window; ground teams later recovered fuselage, tail sections, passenger seats, and a suspected engine on steep slopes.
Rescuers retrieved one male body from a roughly 200-meter ravine near the debris; evacuation and identification efforts are underway amid hopes of finding additional survivors.
More than 100 personnel including military, elite army SAR units, drones and ground teams continue searches despite heavy fog, strong winds, steep terrain and limited visibility hindering operations.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources largely report facts about the search but apply mild editorial framing by emphasizing urgency and systemic safety concerns. They foreground official rescue and military statements, use evaluative context like 'plagued by transportation accidents,' and omit independent aviation experts or family perspectives, steering readers toward a problem-focused narrative.
Sources (10)
FAQ
The flight was an airborne maritime surveillance mission for the Indonesian Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, carrying three ministry personnel and eight crew members.
The ATR 42-500 lost radar contact on January 17, 2026, at 1:17 p.m. near Leang-Leang, Maros, while approaching Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport in Makassar.
Rescuers found wreckage including fuselage, tail sections, passenger seats, a suspected engine, a small aircraft window, and one male body in a 200-meter ravine near Mount Bulusaraung.
Search operations are hindered by heavy fog, strong winds, steep terrain, limited visibility, and uncertain weather conditions on Mount Bulusaraung.
There were 11 people on board: eight crew and three ministry personnel. Over 100 personnel continue searches, with one body recovered and hopes for additional survivors.
History
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