Indonesian authorities search for lost Pilatus plane in North Kalimantan

JAKARTA – Indonesian authorities are intensifying efforts today to locate a Pilatus aircraft that disappeared in North Kalimantan while transporting essential goods.

The aircraft, bound for Krayan, Nunukan, was operated by PT Smart Aviation. It lost communication shortly after taking off from Juwata Tarakan Airport at 8.26am local time yesterday.

The country’s air traffic service, Airnav, received no updates on its whereabouts by 11.26am, prompting a report to the Tarakan Search and Rescue Office (Basarnas).

“Search operations, including aerial scans by two aircraft from Long Bawan to Binuang, yielded no signs of the missing aircraft,” noted Tarakan Basarnas head Syahril in a statement.

Basarnas Central later shared coordinates from the aircraft’s emergency locator transmitter to aid in the search.

Despite extensive search efforts, including aircraft scans from Malinau to Binuang, and later, by an army helicopter from Tarakan to Binuang, no traces of the aircraft were found yesterday, Syahril added. – March 9, 2024