A

DHC-6 Twin Otter light aircraft, operated by the country'€™s Aviastar airline, reportedly lost contact on Friday during a flight from Masamba, South Sulawesi, to the provincial capital of Makassar.

The Aviastar PK-BRM aircraft, which was carrying 10 people, left Masamba'€™s Andi Djemma Airport at 2:25 p.m. local time and was scheduled to arrive at Makassar'€™s Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport at 3:39 p.m.

Masamba, the capital of North Luwu regency, is located some 300 kilometers northeast of Makassar.

North Luwu Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Muhammad Endro said the aircraft had lost contact with airport authorities soon after it had left Masamba.

'€œIt is estimated that the aircraft started to lose contact with airport authorities when it flew over Bua Airport in Luwu regency, as the aircraft'€™s last contact with Masamba Airport was recorded 11 minutes after takeoff,'€ Endro said.

Apart from pilot Iri Afriadi, co-pilot Yudhistira and engineer Sukris, five adult passengers, identified as Nurul Fatin M, Lisa Falentin, Riza Arman, Sakhi Arqam, Muhammad Natsir, and two babies, Afif and Raya, were also on board the missing aircraft.

Separately, general manager of state-owned airport operator Angkasa Pura I Ahmad Munir said that the airport authority, as of Friday evening, was awaiting confirmation on the latest known position of the aircraft to assess whether it was possible for the plane to initiate an emergency landing.

'€œThe aircraft lost contact with air traffic control at Masamba Airport at around 6:33 UTC when it was flying at 800 feet,'€ he said.

'€œWe are waiting to hear whether the aircraft landed at the nearest airport.'€

Hasanuddin Airport spokesperson Hary Waluyo, meanwhile, said that airport authorities had also coordinated with relevant parties, including the National Search and Rescue Agency'€™s (Basarnas) Makassar station and the South Sulawesi Police'€™s Disaster Victims Identification (DVI) team, to assist in a search and rescue mission.

On Aug. 12, a mechanic was killed and five others were injured after a light aircraft crashed at Ninia Airport, Yahukimo regency, Papua. The accident added to the number of aircraft accidents in the country'€™s easternmost province in recent years.

The PAC 750 XL plane, owned by PT Komala Air, was traveling from Wamena Airport in Jayawijaya regency at 7:43 a.m. local time on Aug. 12 to Ninia Airport. The plane was scheduled to land at 8:05 a.m. but crashed as it arrived late at 8:45 a.m.

Four days later, a Trigana Air aircraft lost contact while traveling from Jayapura to Oksibil. The flight took off from Sentani Airport in Jayapura at 2:22 p.m. local time and it should have arrived in Oksibil at 3:04 p.m.

The crashed plane, which carried 54 people on board, was reported missing after it made its last contact with Oksibil air traffic control at 2:55 p.m.

Authorities found that the aircraft crashed in Oksibil, Pegunungan Bintang regency, killing all people on board.