2026 Indonesia Air Transport ATR 42 crash

2026 Indonesia Air Transport ATR 42 crash

PK-THT, the aircraft involved in the accident, seen in 2025
Accident
Date	17 January 2026 (2026-01-17)
Summary	Crashed into terrain on approach; under investigation
Site	Near Bulusaraung mountain, South Sulawesi, Indonesia 04°55′48″S119°44′52″E / 4.93000°S 119.74778°E / -4.93000; 119.74778
Aircraft
Aircraft type	ATR 42-500
Operator	Indonesia Air Transport on behalf of Directorate General of Marine and Fisheries Resources Surveillance
Registration	PK-THT
Flight origin	Adisutjipto Airport, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Destination	Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport, Makassar, Indonesia
Occupants	10 [1]
Passengers	3
Crew	7
Fatalities	1
Missing	9

On 17 January 2026, an ATR 42 operated by Indonesia Air Transport crashed while flying from Adisutjipto Airport to Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport in Indonesia. There were 10 people on board. Burning wreckage was found in a remote area. ^[2]

Aircraft

The aircraft involved in the accident was an ATR 42-512 with the manufacturer serial number 611 registered as PK-THT. The aircraft was 25 years old at the time of the accident, having first been delivered in 2000 to Air Dolomiti until it was acquired by the airline in 2010. The aircraft was owned by Indonesia Air Transport, and it was operating the flight on behalf of the Indonesian Directorate General of Marine and Fisheries Resources Surveillance. ^[3] The aircraft carried three directorate staff and seven crew members. ^[4]

Accident

Sources report that the aircraft was not on the correct path during approach. ^[5] The aircraft made its last contact with ATC at a distance of about 20 km (12 mi) from its destination airport, at 1:37 pm local time. Local residents reported, around the time the aircraft went missing, witnessing an explosion and seeing smoke in Mount Bulusaraung, located inside the Bantimurung–Bulusaraung National Park in Pangkajene and Islands Regency, South Sulawesi. ^{[6] [7]}

Search and rescue

Rescue teams were searching the area where the aircraft wreckage was located. ^[8] Ground teams and helicopters were involved in the operations. Search efforts were complicated by adverse weather in the area. ^[9] Hikers in the area found debris that could belong to the crashed aircraft. ^[10]

The crew of rescue helicopter found debris of the aircraft's window at 7:46 WITA on 18 January 2026, and at 7:49 large parts of the aircraft were discovered, with the tail section was seen at the bottom of the mountain slope. Search and rescue operations are still underway. ^[11] At least one body was discovered at the site. ^[7]

References

1. Teresia, Ananda (18 January 2026). "Indonesia finds wreckage of missing surveillance plane carrying 10, one body". Reuters. Retrieved 18 January 2026.
2. Robles, Carlos (17 January 2026). "Indonesian ATR 42-500 plane goes missing; debris reported on mountain". BNO News. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
3. White, Jaedyn (17 January 2026). "Chartered Air Indonesia Transport ATR Crashes in Indonesia". Airways News . Retrieved 17 January 2026.
4. "Indonesia searches for missing plane with at least 10 on board". Al Jazeera. 17 January 2026. Retrieved 18 January 2026.
5. "Indonesia launches search for missing ATR plane in South Sulawesi". Antra. 17 January 2026. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
6. Hradecky, Simon (17 January 2026). "Crash: IDA AT42 near Makassar on Jan 17th 2026, aircraft collided with terrain". The Aviation Herald. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
7. "Indonesia rescuers find body from plane crash". France 24. 18 January 2026. Retrieved 18 January 2026.
8. "A regional passenger aircraft with 11 people is missing in Indonesia and a search is underway". AP News. 17 January 2026. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
9. "Plane Disappears Near Makassar, Search Hampered by Bad Weather". Jakarta Globe. 17 January 2026. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
10. Hanlon, Tim (17 January 2025). "Indonesia plane vanishes after 'loud explosion' sparking major search for aircraft". Daily Mirror . Retrieved 17 January 2026.
11. Teresia, Ananda (18 January 2026). "Indonesian authorities find wreckage of missing surveillance plane with 11 on board". Reuters . Retrieved 18 January 2026.