At a Glance
- A woman’s body was recovered on January 19, the second confirmed fatality of the Indonesia Air crash
- 11 people-three passengers and eight crew-remain missing after the turboprop vanished January 17
- Wreckage scattered across Mount Bulusaraung has grounded the search to treacherous 656-ft slopes
- Why it matters: Families await closure as rescuers race weather to locate the remaining victims
A second body has been pulled from the mountainside debris of an Indonesia Air Transport turboprop that disappeared mid-flight, intensifying the search for nine people still unaccounted for in South Sulawesi.
The ATR 42-500, operating a routine two-hour hop between Yogyakarta and Makassar, slipped off radar at 1:17 p.m. local time January 17 with 11 souls on board-eight crew members and three passengers. Rescue teams now face jagged terrain and thick forest as they comb the slopes of Mount Bulusaraung for remaining victims and the cockpit voice recorder.
Second Victim Recovered
Rescuers located an unidentified woman’s body Monday, January 19, according to Mohammad Syafii, head of Indonesia’s national search-and-rescue agency, Basarnas. The discovery followed the recovery of a man’s body the previous day, found roughly 200 meters (656 feet) down the mountain amid fragments of the aircraft frame and passenger seats.
“One more victim has been found… according to the information we received, the victim was a woman,” Syafii told reporters, as relayed by AFP.
The breakthrough came after 25 officers split into three specialized teams to scour the cloud-shrouded peak where the aircraft is believed to have slammed into rock face before breaking apart.
Wreckage Trail
Searchers have since mapped a growing debris field that includes:
- Sections of the ATR 42-500’s fuselage
- Multiple passenger seats torn from their anchor points
- A turboprop engine presumed to be the plane’s right-side power plant
- Personal effects scattered across dense vegetation
Edy Prakoso, Basarnas director of operations, told Antara, Indonesia’s national news agency, that flight-tracking data places the probable impact site within the Maros District, a rugged area known for sudden downdrafts. Poor visibility has repeatedly forced helicopters to abandon hoist operations, leaving ground crews to climb steep, often slippery trails.
Timeline of Events
| Date | Local Time | Milestone |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 17 | 1:17 p.m. | Final radio contact with air-traffic control |
| Jan 17 | Afternoon | Radar contact lost; official alert raised |
| Jan 18 | Morning | First body (male) located on mountainside |
| Jan 19 | Morning | Second body (female) recovered |
| Jan 19 | Ongoing | Search continues for remaining nine people |
What We Know About the Flight
- Route: Yogyakarta International Airport to Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport, Makassar
- Aircraft: ATR 42-500 twin-turboprop, registration details withheld pending next-of-kin notification
- Occupants: 11 total-three fare-paying passengers and eight airline employees, including flight deck crew
- Weather: Marginal visual flight rules; scattered convective activity reported along planned track
Basarnas has not released the names of those on board, citing verification protocols, while Indonesia Air Transport has yet to issue a formal casualty manifest.
Search Operations Continue
Ground teams are being rotated every 12 hours to maintain alertness on slopes averaging a 30-degree gradient, according to Muhammad Arif Anwar, head of Makassar’s Search and Rescue Office. Trackers equipped with GPS beacons have plotted the expanding search grid, now covering more than 12 square kilometers of mountainous terrain.
Canine units trained to detect human remains arrived January 19, but steep ravines and loose volcanic soil have limited their range. Drones fitted with infrared cameras are supplementing daytime sorties, while night operations remain suspended due to dense forest canopy and absence of ground lighting.
Indonesia’s National Transportation Safety Committee has dispatched investigators, though priority remains on victim recovery before wreckage extraction. A mandatory preliminary report must be filed within 30 days under International Civil Aviation Organization standards.
Airlines and Authorities Respond
Indonesia Air Transport and Basarnas did not immediately respond to News Of Los Angeles‘s request for updated comment January 19. The carrier, a Jakarta-based regional operator established in 1968, has had no recorded hull-loss incidents since 2012, according to publicly available databases.
Indonesia’s Ministry of Transportation has ordered a temporary audit of all ATR 42 operators focusing on flight-following procedures and weather assessment protocols. Officials stress the measure is precautionary and not an indication of operator fault while the investigation remains in its infancy.
Key Takeaways
- Two bodies now recovered; nine people remain missing
- Crash site elevation and thick vegetation hampering rescue efforts
- Aircraft was on a domestic commuter flight, cruising altitude undisclosed
- Investigation timeline subject to recovery of flight-data and cockpit-voice recorders
Authorities urge the public to avoid the mountainous search zone, warning that unauthorized drones could interfere with military helicopters supplying forward operating camps. Families of the missing have gathered at crisis centers in both Yogyakarta and Makassar, awaiting DNA confirmation as forensic teams stand ready once additional bodies are located.
