Indonesian plane with 11 on board goes missing

ISTANBUL

An Indonesian plane carrying 11 people went missing Saturday in South Sulawesi province, state news agency ANTARA reported.

The ATR 42-500 aircraft, operated by aviation company Indonesia Air Transport, lost contact in the Maros district, the Transportation Ministry said.

“A National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) post has been established near the location,” said Lukman F. Laisa, a ministry official.

The ministry’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation received an initial report regarding the loss of contact with the registered PK-THT, which was heading from Yogyakarta to Makassar, South Sulawesi's capital.

Preliminary information indicated that the weather situation at the time included visibility of nearly eight kilometers (4.97 miles), with partly cloudy skies.

“Further details are still being coordinated with the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG),” the official added.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation said it continues to coordinate closely with the relevant authorities and will provide regular updates as official information becomes available.

Separately, a spokesperson from Basarnas confirmed that the aircraft was carrying 11 people including eight crew members and three passengers.

The flight made last contact at 1.17 p.m. local time (0517GMT), said Edy Prakoso, director of operations at Basarnas.

Prakoso said the coordinates of the plane's last position was detected near the the Leang-Leang region in Maros, and rescue personnel were on their way to the region.