Indonesian ATR 42-500 believed to have crashed after losing contact

Indonesian authorities have indicated that an ATR 42-500 aircraft may have crashed after losing contact in a mountainous region, according to officials and local media. The plane was carrying 10 people.

On Saturday, Indonesian outlet detikSulsel reported that the aircraft’s Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) did not function after contact was lost near Maros, leading search teams to rely on manual efforts. The last known position of the aircraft was near mountainous terrain.

Soerjanto Tjahjono, head of Indonesia’s National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT), said the failure of the ELT could be explained if the aircraft struck terrain.

“There is an ELT, an Emergency Locator Transmitter, but in an incident where an aircraft hits a mountain, if that is what happened, the ELT usually does not work because it is also destroyed,” Tjahjono told reporters.

The aircraft, an ATR 42-500, lost contact earlier Saturday near Maros, according to authorities. Indonesia’s search and rescue agency said 10 people were on board. The seven-member flight crew was reported to include a captain, first officer, flight operation officer, two engineers on board and two flight attendants.

The aircraft was operated by Indonesia Air on behalf of Indonesia’s Marine and Fisheries, according to aviation reports. Indonesia’s Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Sakti Wahyu Trenggono expressed condolences and confirmed that three ministry employees were on board.

Video circulating on social media appears to show debris scattered on a mountainside in the search area, including personal belongings and a small fire burning among the wreckage. The footage shows dense fog in the area.

Suryano, a search and rescue official, said teams hope to locate the site as soon as possible to allow for evacuation and the recovery of the aircraft’s flight recorders.

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