News|AviationIndonesian rescuers find wreckage of plane that had 11 people on boardA rescue team on an air force helicopter has spotted what appears to be a small aircraft window in a forested area on the slope of Mount Bulusaraung.
Indonesian rescue teams have located debris from an aircraft that is believed to have crashed with 11 individuals on board. The incident occurred as the plane was approaching a mountainous area on Sulawesi island under cloudy conditions.
Indonesian rescue teams have located debris from an aircraft that is believed to have crashed with 11 individuals on board. The incident occurred as the plane was approaching a mountainous area on Sulawesi island under cloudy conditions.
The aircraft, a turboprop ATR 42-500 operated by Indonesia Air Transport, was en route from Yogyakarta on Java island to Makassar, South Sulawesi's capital, when it lost radar contact on Saturday, Jan 16, 2026.
On Sunday, a rescue team aboard an air force helicopter identified what appeared to be a small aircraft window in a forested region on Mount Bulusaraung. Subsequently, ground teams retrieved larger debris from the main fuselage and tail on a steep northern slope, according to Muhammad Arif Anwar, head of Makassar’s search and rescue operations.
Anwar stated that the discovery of the main aircraft sections significantly narrows the search area and provides crucial information for locating potential survivors.
Indonesian rescue teams have located debris from an aircraft that is believed to have crashed with 11 individuals on board.
The plane was carrying eight crew members and three passengers from the Marine Affairs and Fisheries Ministry. These individuals were part of an airborne maritime surveillance mission. The last known location of the aircraft was in the Leang-Leang area of Maros, South Sulawesi.
Despite strong winds, dense fog, and challenging terrain, ground and air rescue teams continued their approach to the wreckage site on Sunday. Major-General Bangun Nawoko, South Sulawesi's Hasanuddin military commander, confirmed these conditions had impeded search efforts. Images released by the National Search and Rescue Agency depicted rescuers navigating steep, fog-covered ridges to reach the wreckage.
Indonesia's reliance on air transport and ferries for connectivity across its 17,000 islands has led to a history of transportation incidents, including plane and bus crashes and ferry sinkings.
Based on reporting by Al Jazeera.