Fact Check: No, Photo of Plane Crash Survivor Was Not from ATR 42-500 Incident

January 22, 2026 | 12:54 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A photo claimed to be of a surviving passenger in the ATR 42-500 aircraft crash was shared by Facebook accounts (one and two) [archive] on January 18, 2026.

In the photo, a man is seen with a rescue officer at the crash site. "Thank God, one of the passengers of the aircraft survived. The search for others is underway," the account wrote.

So, is the man pictured in the circulating photo really a survivor of the ATR aircraft that crashed in Maros?

FACT CHECK

Tempo verified the photo by conducting a reverse image search. The search results indicate that the man in the photo is a survivor of Pilatus PC-6 Porter PK-SNE aircraft owned by Smart Aviation that crashed in Binuang, North Kalimantan, on Friday, March 8, 2024.

According to Antara.com, rescuers found the surviving pilot, M. Yusuf, 29, on Sunday, March 10, 2024. On the other hand, the onboard aircraft engineer, Deni S, 35, from Pangandaran, was found deceased at the scene.

The Smart Aviation aircraft lost contact after taking off from Tarakan's Juwata International Airport at 8:25 a.m. WITA (Central Indonesian Time). The pioneering aircraft was bound for Binuang, Krayan, and Nunukan, carrying 583 kilograms of basic necessities, consisting of 21 types of goods, when the accident occurred.

The circulating photo is identical to video clips that aired on the YouTube accounts of Metro TV, Official INews, and Kompas.com on March 12, 2024.

Two Victims of ATR Plane Crash Found

As of the writing of this report, the search and rescue personnel have only found two deceased passengers after an ATR 42-500 plane crashed in the Bulusaraung mountains, South Sulawesi. Tempo reports that the Indonesia Air Transport (IAT) aircraft, registered PK-THT, lost contact in Maros Regency on January 17, 2026.

The aircraft, with seven crew members and three passengers on board, was en route from Yogyakarta to Makassar. Meanwhile, the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Sakti Wahyu Trenggono, confirmed that three staff of the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) were on board the aircraft on a mission to monitor marine and fisheries resources.

One day after the incident, joint personnel found the wreckage of the aircraft on the southern slope of Bulusaraung Peak. The main body of the aircraft was observed to be located north of the mountain peak.

CONCLUSION

Tempo's verification concluded that the claim that one of the ATR 42-500 aircraft passengers that crashed in Maros was found alive is false.

TEMPO FACT CHECK TEAM

**Do you have information or claims that you want to have fact-checked? Contact ourChatBot. You can also send criticism, objections, or feedback for this Fact-Checking article via email [email protected].

Fact Check: Is Trump Moving 1 Million Israelis to Papua?

1 hari lalu

Fact Check: Did NASA Stop Ocean Exploration in 1978?

2 hari lalu

Fact Check: Viral Video of Maduro Arrest Celebration Is AI-Generated

3 hari lalu

Fact Check: Claim of US Nuclear Test Behind 2004 Aceh Tsunami Is False

3 hari lalu

Fact Check: No Evidence Nadiem Makarim Handed Rp450 Trillion Over to Jokowi

4 hari lalu

Fact Check: North Natuna Sea Was Not Used as Collateral for the Whoosh Rail Project

5 hari lalu

Fact Check: Video Claiming Millions of Pro-Iran Government Protesters Is False

7 hari lalu

Fact Check: AI Video Fakes Israeli Flag at Surabaya Protest

7 hari lalu

Fact Check: Viral Mount Semeru Eruption Video Was AI-Edited

9 hari lalu

Fact Check: Indonesian Finance Minister's Rp50 Million Aid Claim Is Fake

10 hari lalu