Jakarta, Indonesia: Indonesian authorities confirmed on Friday that all 10 victims from the fatal crash of an Indonesia Air Transport (IAT) ATR 42-500 turboprop aircraft have been recovered, concluding a seven-day search and rescue operation on the steep slopes of Mount Bulusaraung in South Sulawesi.
The aircraft, registered PK-THT, disappeared from radar on January 17 while on a maritime surveillance mission for the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries. It was en route from Adisutjipto Airport, Yogyakarta, to Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport in Makassar when contact was lost during its final approach.
Rescue teams, comprising personnel from the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), military, police, and volunteers, faced rugged terrain, steep ravines, dense fog, and volatile weather throughout the operation. Bodies were found in scattered locations on the mountainside and transported to forensic specialists in Makassar for Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) procedures.
By Friday morning, the 10th and final victim had been located, marking the official end of the recovery phase. Authorities expressed condolences to the families of the victims and reiterated support for identification and repatriation processes.
A key breakthrough in the investigation came with the recovery of the aircraft’s cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder (FDR) from the wreckage. A joint SAR team located both units intact in the tail section of the aircraft on January 21, despite adverse weather delaying initial access.
Following extraction from the crash site, the devices were secured and transported to a checkpoint in Tompobulu village, before being handed over to the National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT), Indonesia’s official air accident investigation authority. Basarnas Chief Air Marshal Mohammad Syafii confirmed that the recorders will be analyzed to reconstruct the sequence of events leading up to the crash.
Earlier in the response, the KNKT classified the crash as a Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) incident, indicating the aircraft was under control when it impacted the mountain slope although classification does not imply pilot intent or assign fault. The investigation team has not yet publicly disclosed a definitive cause, citing the ongoing analysis of flight recorder data and other evidence.
The ATR 42-500 turboprop was conducting a routine surveillance mission in support of fisheries and maritime resource monitoring when it vanished. Initial reports indicated 10 people on board, including seven crew members and three passengers from the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries.
The mountainous crash zone spans portions of Maros and Pangkajene and Islands regencies, complicating early rescue efforts and driving a multi-agency coordinated response.
