January 19, 2026 | 08:00 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A joint Search and Rescue (SAR) team found one victim during the search operation for an ATR 42-500 aircraft that had reportedly lost contact at Mount Bulusaraung Peak, South Sulawesi Province, Indonesia. The victim was found on Sunday, January 18, 2026, near the location of the aircraft debris.
The Head of the Makassar Class A Search and Rescue Office and Search and Rescue Mission Coordinator (SMC), Muhammad Arif Anwar, stated that the victim was found in a ravine approximately 200 meters deep. "At 2:20 p.m. WITA, a male victim was found at coordinates 04°54'44'' South Latitude and 119°44'48'' East Longitude, near the aircraft debris," Arif said in an official statement on Sunday.
According to Arif, the SAR team evacuated the victim via a climbing route. The extreme terrain and poor weather presented major challenges in the rescue operation. Since morning, heavy rain and thick fog had enveloped the summit area, limiting visibility to around five meters.
In addition to the victims, the SAR team recovered several aircraft parts. Search and Rescue Unit (SRU) 3 reported finding debris in the form of the fuselage and seats, and identified the location of the aircraft engine based on visual observations on the ground.
During the operation, several SRUs moved according to predetermined sectors. SRU 1 descended westward using ropes, while SRU 3 remained at the summit to conduct further searches. SRU 4, which had approached the mission point, failed to find safe access and was withdrawn to its command post for safety reasons.
Meanwhile, Major General Bangun Nawoko, Commander of the XIV/Hasanuddin Military Regional Command, stated that the rescue operation involved rappelling from the cliff. "The victim was in a difficult-to-reach location, so the Basarnas vertical rescue team used a special technique for the evacuation: rappelling," he said, as quoted by Antara.
The aircraft was manned by a crew of seven: Andy Dahananto, captain and pilot; Farhan Gunawan, co-pilot; Hariadi, flight operations officer; and two aircraft technicians, Restu Adi P and Dwi Murdiono. Cabin services were handled by two cabin crew members, Florencia Lolita and Esther Aprilita S.
The three passengers on board were employees of the Indonesian Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) on duty: Ferry Irawan, a Surveillance Vessel Analyst; Deden Mulyana, a State Asset Manager; and Yoga Noval, an Aerial Photography Operator.
Read: French Manufacturer Addresses ATR 42-500 Aircraft Crash in Indonesia
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