The ATR 42-500 was found crashed on Mount Bulusaraung, the search is now in its next phase

Makassar, Thekabarnews.com—The National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) has found the ATR 42-500 plane that lost communication on Saturday, January 17, 2026. The wreckage was found in the Mount Bulusaraung area of South Sulawesi. It was in terrible shape.

Basarnas announced the find on Sunday, January 18, 2026. This was after a long search that included both aircraft and ground crews. The action took place after reports that the plane had lost contact during its trip.

Andi Sultan, Head of the Operations Section at Basarnas Makassar, said the team found the first sign during an early-morning aerial search.

“At around 07:33 WITA, a Basarnas helicopter spotted debris believed to be part of the aircraft’s window during an aerial sweep near the summit of Mount Bulusaraung.” Andi said in an official statement.

After seeing the debris, the search crew looked more closely to be sure they knew where it came from. Despite the difficult terrain, ground rescue teams quickly moved to the scene.

At approximately 08:02 WITA, Basarnas verified that the wreckage originated from the missing ATR 42-500 and declared that the plane’s destruction occurred upon impact.

The confirmation ended the search for the plane’s location. It also started the next steps that the appropriate authorities would take, such as evacuating people and starting an inquiry.

Basarnas emphasized that the follow-up reaction will still involve working with many different agencies. In addition, they will make sure that rescue workers are safe while they are in the mountains.