ATR 42-500 Plane Crash Victims Evacuated from Mount Bulusaraung

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) evacuated a victim of the ATR 42-500 plane crash via a Dauphin AS-365 N3 rescue helicopter from Mount Bulusaraung to Sultan Hasanuddin Air Force Base, Makassar, on Wednesday, January 21, 2026.

The Commander of Sultan Hasanuddin Air Force Base, First Marshal Arifaini Nur Dwiyanto, stated that the aerial evacuation was a critical phase conducted after the joint SAR team successfully hoisted the body to a safe point in the steep mountainous terrain. The evacuation followed a search operation that commenced on Sunday, January 18, 2026.

"Upon arrival at Sultan Hasanuddin Air Force Base, the body was transferred to an ambulance from Air Force Hospital (RSAU) dr. Dody Sardjoto," Arifaini said in a written statement on Wednesday, January 21, 2026.

Arifaini noted that the body was transported to RSAU dr. Dody Sardjoto for an initial identification process before being moved to the Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) post at the Bhayangkara National Police Hospital.

The ATR 42-500 aircraft lost contact in Maros Regency, South Sulawesi, on January 17, 2026. The flight crew consisted of seven individuals: Captain Andy Dahananto as the pilot, Farhan Gunawan as the co-pilot, and Hariadi as the flight operations officer. Additionally, the crew included two aircraft technicians, Restu Adi P and Dwi Murdiono, and two cabin crew members, Florencia Lolita and Esther Aprilita.

The aircraft carried three passengers, all of whom were employees of the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries on official duty. They were identified as Ferry Irawan, a Ship Inspector Analyst; Deden Mulyana, a State-Owned Goods Administrator; and Yoga Noval, an Aerial Photo Operator.

To date, the rescue team has located two victims of the ATR crash in the summit area of Mount Bulusaraung. They were found at different times and locations, with the victims identified as one male and one female.

The joint team has also recovered debris from the Indonesia Air Transport aircraft. The wreckage was discovered on the southern slope of Bulusaraung, while the main body of the ATR plane was positioned north of the mountain peak.

Novali Panji Nugroho contributed to the report

Read: Transportation Safety Committee Yet to Determine Cause of ATR Plane Crash, Awaits Black Box

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