Investigation Underway for ATR 42-500 Aircraft Incident

Background of the Incident

On January 17, 2026, an ATR 42-500 aircraft with registration PK-THT operated by Indonesia Air Transport (IAT) lost contact while flying from Yogyakarta to Makassar. The aircraft was carrying out a scheduled flight when the incident occurred. Following an extensive search operation involving multiple agencies, debris from the aircraft was located on January 18 near Gunung Bulusaraung in South Sulawesi ¹

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Investigation Details

The National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) is leading the investigation into this incident, as is standard protocol for aviation accidents in Indonesia. The Directorate General of Air Transportation has confirmed that both the crew and the aircraft were deemed airworthy before the flight ²

. Preliminary information indicates that the weather conditions at the time of the incident showed visibility of about 8 kilometers with partly cloudy conditions.

Collaborative Investigation Efforts

The search operation was conducted through a coordinated effort between various agencies. The Indonesian Air Force deployed drones and helicopters to aid in the search, which ultimately led to the discovery of the aircraft debris. The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) is providing detailed weather information to support the investigation ¹

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Next Steps in the Investigation

The KNKT will analyze various factors, including weather conditions, aircraft maintenance records, and operational data, to determine the cause of the incident. The investigation is expected to be thorough and detailed, given the complexity of aviation incident analysis. As the investigation progresses, further updates will be provided by the relevant authorities.