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Wreckage of Missing Indonesian Surveillance Plane Found on Mount Bulusaraung

Rescue teams are pushing through fog and steep terrain to reach the site to search for survivors.

Overview

  • Helicopter and ground teams located scattered debris, including a window, major fuselage sections and the tail, on the slopes of Mount Bulusaraung near Makassar.
  • The ATR 42-500, operated by Indonesia Air Transport and chartered for a fisheries surveillance mission, was carrying 11 people: eight crew members and three Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries staff.
  • Air traffic control had instructed the pilots to correct their approach alignment shortly before radio contact was lost around 1:17 p.m. local time near the Leang-Leang area of Maros.
  • More than 1,000 personnel have been deployed as thick fog, strong winds and steep terrain slow access to the site; officials say locating victims is the priority and express hope some can be evacuated safely.
  • Indonesia’s National Transportation Safety Committee is leading the investigation with support from ATR, as Flightradar24 reports limited tracking at low altitude and a last signal about 20 km northeast of Makassar airport.