The aircraft, an ATR 42-500 operated by Indonesia Air Transport and chartered by the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, disappeared from radar on Saturday afternoon while approaching Makassar from Yogyakarta. Contact was lost at around 1:30 p.m. local time near Maros district, approximately 20 kilometres from Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport.

On Sunday morning, rescue teams located debris scattered across multiple sites near Mount Bulusaraung, a mountainous area known for dense forests and steep slopes. According to officials, helicopter crews first spotted a window panel, followed minutes later by sections of the fuselage and the tail at the base of the mountain. The discovery confirmed that the aircraft had crashed, though no survivors or bodies had been recovered at the time of reporting.

There were eight crew members and three government officials onboard, all involved in a maritime surveillance operation. South Sulawesi Search and Rescue Agency chief Muhammad Arif Anwar said more than 1,200 personnel, including military, police, and volunteers, had been deployed to the area. Ground teams were working alongside aerial units, but progress remained slow due to thick fog, unpredictable weather, and difficult access routes.

“The terrain is extremely challenging. Visibility is limited, and the slopes are steep,” Anwar said, adding that search teams were proceeding cautiously to avoid further casualties.

Indonesia’s National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) has launched a formal investigation to determine the cause of the crash. Officials said it was too early to speculate, noting that aviation accidents often result from a combination of technical, environmental, and human factors. Police have also prepared Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) units in anticipation of recoveries.

Flight tracking data from Flightradar24 indicated that the aircraft was flying at relatively low altitude, limiting radar coverage. The last recorded signal was received roughly 20 kilometres northeast of Makassar airport.

The ATR 42-500, manufactured by Franco-Italian aircraft maker ATR, is commonly used for short-haul regional flights and special missions. Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, relies heavily on air transport, but accidents remain a recurring concern due to difficult geography and rapidly changing weather conditions.

Search operations were ongoing late Sunday, with authorities saying efforts would continue until all occupants are accounted for.