Debris from Indonesia ATR 42-500 found on Bulusaraung Hill as SAR operation continues

Search-and-rescue teams in South Sulawesi have located debris believed to be from an Indonesia Air Transport ATR 42-500 patrol aircraft registered PK-THT on the slopes of Mount Bulusaraung, officials said, as a large-scale operation continues to reach the main impact zone.

The turboprop, operating on behalf of the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries on a surveillance transit from Yogyakarta to Makassar, lost contact with air traffic control on Jan. 17 while approaching Makassar. Early on Jan. 18 local hikers and residents reported seeing smoke and metallic fragments on the mountain. SAR aircraft conducting aerial patrols identified scattered wreckage before ground teams reached the slope.

Aerial units first noted debris above Bulusaraung at 07:26 WITA, with a helicopter reporting material north of the peak at 07:35 WITA. Ground teams located sections of fuselage and tail, along with seats and what rescuers described as a likely engine, at about 07:49 local time on the southern and northern lower slopes, depending on the witness account. Basarnas imagery circulated to media shows large chunks of aircraft structure in a fog-shrouded hillside.

Terrain and weather are complicating access. Rescue officials estimate the debris field sits near 1,200 meters elevation on steep, rocky slopes, with at least one ravine about 200 meters deep adjacent to scattered wreckage. Dense fog and rugged access routes have slowed descent, carried-out recoveries and evacuation planning for the site.

The number of people aboard remains unclear. Reports diverge: Detik360 and the Associated Press cited 11 occupants, described as eight crew and three ministry officials, while Bernama and Tempo reported 10 people, listing seven crew and three passengers. Makassar’s Search and Rescue Office reported that one body of a man was recovered from a ravine near the wreckage. Officials say teams are prioritizing reaching survivors if any, securing the site and retrieving flight data recorders.

The operation is substantial in scale. Authorities have deployed multiple aircraft and helicopters, including a Boeing 737-200 used for early aerial scanning and an H225M Caracal helicopter, supported by roughly 500 personnel in various units standing by or actively engaged. Basarnas has signaled that recovering the recorders and the remaining occupants or casualties is the immediate priority, with investigators to follow once the site is secured.

Beyond the human toll, the loss raises operational and budgetary questions for maritime surveillance capabilities. The ATR 42-500 is a purpose-used platform for fisheries and maritime patrols; its sudden loss temporarily reduces airborne monitoring capacity over Indonesia’s vast waters. Replacing an aircraft and restoring patrol hours will require ministry allocation, possible emergency procurement, or reallocation of assets from other agencies, which could strain already tight public budgets.

The incident also underscores persistent challenges in Indonesian search-and-rescue logistics. Mountainous terrain, frequent fog in upland areas and dispersed infrastructure inflate response costs and prolong recovery. Officials will press to retrieve flight recorders to determine cause, a step that will shape any policy response on aviation safety, maintenance oversight and surveillance fleet management.

For now, the focus remains on the hillside. SAR teams are continuing daylight pushes to reach the main wreckage, secure the scene and account for all aboard while investigators prepare to analyze the recorders once recovered.