Suspected debris of Indonesian passenger plane that lost contact after take-off from Jakarta found

Jakarta, Jan. 9, 2021

A passenger plane operated by Indonesian budget carrier Sriwijaya Air has lost contact after taking off from Jakarta’s airport, according to an official.

A spokeswoman for the Transport Ministry, Adita Irawati, said the Boeing 737-500 aircraft was en route to Pontianak on Borneo island when it lost contact.

“This is being investigated in coordination with the National Search and Rescue Agency and the National Transport Safety Committee,” Adita said.

The aircraft was carrying 56 passengers, including seven children and six crew members, Metro TV reported.

Meanwhile, rescuers have found suspected debris in waters north of the city, an official of the Basarnas search and rescue agency said.

Agus Haryono told Reuters it had not been confirmed that the debris came from missing flight.

Reliable tracking service Flightradar24 said on its Twitter feed that Flight SJ182 “lost more than 10,000 feet of altitude in less than one minute, about 4 minutes after departure from Jakarta.”

The aircraft is a 27-year-old Boeing 737-500, according to registration details included in the tracking data.