A routine flight turned into a nightmare on Saturday when an Indonesia Air Transport turboprop carrying 10 people vanished from radar. This happened shortly after takeoff.
The plane was flying from Yogyakarta to Makassar, on Sulawesi island, when contact was lost just after 1pm local time.
On board were three government workers from the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries.
They were headed for aerial monitoring of the region’s marine resources.
Along with seven crew members, the airline confirmed.
So what went wrong? That question is now the focus of a frantic search.
Search Intensifies in Mountains
Rescue teams have been deployed to a mountainous area in Maros Regency, close to the plane’s last known position.
Muhammad Arif Anwar, head of the local search and rescue agency, said.
The operation involves the air force, police, and volunteers, combing the area by land and air.
Minister Sakti Wahyu Trenggono described the mission as essential work for monitoring resources.
Making the loss even more painful for officials and locals.
For now, all that remains is uncertainty. Did the aircraft suffer a technical fault? Was weather a factor? Or did the terrain play a role?
One thing is clear: families are waiting, authorities are racing against time, and the skies over Sulawesi are holding their breath.
Because in moments like this, the only thing more urgent than the search is the hope.
