A small plane crashes in South Sulawesi, killing 11

A small passenger plane with 11 people on board crashed in the mountains of South Sulawesi in mid-January 2026. As the Associated Press reports, the turboprop aircraft, flown by Indonesia Air Transport from Yogyakarta to Makassar, lost contact after being told to correct its approach over the rugged Leang-Leang area near Maros.

The plane carried eight crew and three staff from the Marine Affairs and Fisheries Ministry, who were on a mission to watch over Indonesia's seas from the air. Hikers on nearby Mount Bulusaraung reported seeing debris and small fires, and rescuers later reached the crash site in a deep ravine, recovering wreckage and remains. Thick fog, strong winds, and poor visibility at the summit made the search slow and dangerous.

The crash is another blow to confidence in transport safety in a country where planes and boats connect thousands of islands. Flying over Indonesia's mountainous, remote regions carries real risks, and accidents in bad weather have happened before.

Why it matters

For people who fly on the small planes that link Indonesia's islands and remote areas, safety and weather decisions can be a matter of life and death. Each crash raises questions about aircraft maintenance and flight rules in hard terrain. Watch what investigators find caused this crash, and whether it leads to tighter safety checks.